Life
by YGP
Summary: AU: Life can be a struggle on the island, but they'll find a way to make it though. Together. Sora/Kairi/Namine, Aqua/Vanitas/Terra/Ventus, Roxas/Xion/Riku Dealing with a lot of adult themes such as violence, lime/lemon; Rated: M
1. Prologue

**_Author's Notes:_** _It's been a while since I've posted a new story here! I had a few sitting on my computers for years and I wanted to release them before the new game comes out!_

 _This covers three different sides of the story: "The Other Side of the Fence", "The Runaways", and "Sibling Rivalry" telling about certain characters in each part so if you don't read one of the three stories, it doesn't affect reading the others. Hope you'll like it!  
_

* * *

 _Prologue_

 _~The Other Side Of The Fence~_

 _Vanitas_

 _~The Boy in the Darkness~_

His back slouched against his chair as his eyes closed. His fingers intertwined, pressed behind his head. School had constantly bored him, but ultimately, he knew that was just how life went. Like everyone else there, he was expected to graduate from school and find a good university so that he could find a job afterwards, but that wasn't the way he saw it. Did it really matter? There were times that he questioned why he was there. He was doing better and making more money than any person who had a regular job. As long as he kept doing as he was told, he made money and he would be fine.

Leaving his thoughts, his eyes shifted over to the front of the class. He noticed the blue haired girl laughed with two other friends that were sitting nearby her. This had become a constant routine. From afar, he would watch her. The only one who had peaked his interest if even slightly. He would notice her, but in return she didn't notice him.

What was the point? The thought had crossed his mind several times that it was starting to become his mantra. He had come to accept that this was how things were. She was ahead of him while he was the one behind in the distance, unseen.

After the last bell rung, signaling for school to be done, he walked along the floor above near the railed edge. Down below, he spotted the blue haired girl again. Another laugh crossed her lips. For as long as he had known her, he could tell the difference. There was the laugh she had with her friends and then there was the laugh she had whenever she was around a certain someone that he interpreted as girlish and flirty. He leaned against the railing as he watched her talking with the tall, brunette haired man. An automatic frown came on. Over time it seemed like the two were spending more and more time together. As much as he didn't like the idea, it couldn't be help it. Terra and her had come from two similar worlds unlike the two of them. Snapping himself out of the show he was watching, he stood up straight and kept walking.

After returning home, he changed out of his uniform and headed out as he did most of his afternoons. He closed and locked the door behind him. Once he turned his head, his golden colored eyes had locked onto a set of blue ones from the yard across. His lips tightened. From time to time this would happened. The two of them would end up running into each other. It couldn't be helped since they lived next door. Concern was written on her face as usual when she saw him, but it wasn't out of fear of him. Vanitas suspected that she was suspicious of his activities. There were times she had gathered up the courage to ask him, but he would always bypass her and never answer. This time however was like the others. Before she had the chance to say a word, he placed on his dark helmet, climbed onto his bike, and rode off out of sight. He never looked back to see her and the look in her eyes of worry.

Further into a darker part of town, Vanitas had parked his bike nearby an abandoned warehouse. Inside, there was a few guys were sitting around talking amongst each other. Vanitas looked around the room and spotted a man on his phone, talking. He took off his helmet and placed it on the table. As soon as the conversation was over, the older man turned to him. As soon as he saw Vanitas he smirked. "Ah! Just in time." Vanitas nodded toward him. The older man placed his hands behind his back. "The organization came through. The shipment is ready to go." He nodded toward the boys sitting in the corner. "Take them with you and give them a cut at the end of night. You might need the extra hands. Xigbar! Demyx!"

The boys headed over toward them. They glanced at the leader of their group and then looked over at Vanitas. The chilling, piercing stare he gave them was enough to make Demyx jump in fear and Xigbar smirked. Vanitas cursed under his breath low enough for just him to hear before he turned his attention back to man whose eyes matched his own. As much as he wanted to argue against it, he knew better than to especially with him. "Yes sir."

The answer pleased the caramel colored man. "Get going then."

Vanitas turned his head toward the boys in anger. "Grab the stuff! Let's go!" his voice boomed throughout the empty warehouse.

Xigbar smirked toward him. "Just because you're in charge, doesn't mean you get to boss us around. Got it?"

Demyx rushed to grab what they had to deliver. Vanitas turned and started heading out. "One more thing Vanitas," the older man said as he followed behind him.

Vanitas looked back serious. "Yes?"

A chuckle came out of the older man. "What happened to good old days? You used to call me by another name. I think that a lot better."

Vanitas's eyes traveled toward the ground, thinking. When he looked back, all he saw was darkness. He figured his mind wasn't ready go back to that place again. The place that was only filled with pain. An automatic reply slipped from his lips. "Yes master."

Another smirk slipped out of Xehanort's lips. He stepped in beside Vanitas. "Do what you have to do. If anyone wants to deflect or you think they'll be a danger to our little _operation_ , you know what to do."

Those words Vanitas knew all too well. "Yes master," another automatic reply came out. He walked away as Xehanort stopped. Vanitas had obeyed everything that he had commanded him, but part of him knew Vanitas had still felt some resistant toward him. He couldn't figure out what it was, but it was the last thing he knew that would break Vanitas completely.

As the night progressed, Vanitas could see this was going to be a long one. Things hadn't gone smoothly like he had hope, but it wasn't a surprise either. This had happened several times before. Before they could get the money for their delivery, a few more unexpected guys had popped up surrounding him and his group. It was more of a nuisance than an inconvenience. When Vanitas had refused to leave without the money, the opposing group had moved in closer. One sneaked in behind Vanitas. Nervous but willing, he slammed a board behind his back, causing Vanitas to step forward. The guys surrounding him waited to see his reaction. Nearby Xigbar leaned against the wall with his gun in hand as Demyx watched worried. Xigbar let out a big smirk. "They have no idea what they've gotten themselves into with that kid." He couldn't wait for the show to begin.

There was a moment of silence before they heard something unexpected. They looked down toward a bent over Vanitas with his hands on his stomach as a dark, twisted laugh came from him. Behind his helmet, they could only imagine his face. He stood up straight. "You think that's enough to hurt me?"

The boys took a step back as fear and unease flowed through them. "It's true what they say…" one of them whispered.

"He's not human…"

Vanitas walked toward them. A few of them took off running, but the rest stayed behind to fight. A punch flew toward him, but Vanitas caught it with his hand and pressed his fingers down into his fist. The boy kneeled down as he cried out a little in pain. Uneasy, the other boys ran toward him. Taking notice, Vanitas jumped into action. His knee raised up hitting the kneeling boy's chin. He rolled against the ground covering his mouth with his hand. Moving with precision, he punched the other boy in front of him and elbowed the one behind. He swung his fist around and knocked the fourth down. Xigbar was impressed as Demyx stared in amazement. Vanitas was able to take down a whole group by himself. Vanitas kneeled down and grabbed onto the shirt of the first boy on the ground. "Now. The money?"

"Screw off!"

Vanitas punched the boy straight in the face causing blood to leak from his mouth and nose. "I could keep going with this." With a few more punches, the boy finally gave in. He reached into his pocket and tossed the money up. Right away, Vanitas caught it in his hand. "Pathetic." Vanitas left him with a finally kick to the stomach which made him cough more. He tossed the money toward Demyx who fumbled until he caught it. "Let's go."

Xigbar smirked as he watched Vanitas walk pass him. "Don't you want to count it first?" he egged him.

"Already did," Vanitas replied. As they walked away, a whispering voice caused Vanitas to stop. Xigbar and Demyx took notice and looked over surprised.

"You won't…get away with this…" Vanitas turned toward the boy more, listening to the threat. "You can't hide in that helmet forever… We'll find…and kill you for this…" The words caused Vanitas to burst out into laughter. His laughter had sent fear into almost everyone around. They had no idea what was going through his head nor did they understand why he was laughing hysterically. The words that the boy had left Vanitas with didn't scare him. At this point in his life, he didn't care. He didn't care if he had lived or died just like he felt the world didn't care if he did or didn't. With everything he had been through, he started to embrace his breaking mentality.

 _Aqua_

 _~The Perfect Girl Next Door~_

With breath leaving her body, she took her final bow of the night toward her Jujutsu partner. She could always count on class to give her a steady workout. "That was great Aqua!" Aqua looked over to see a blonde, spiked haired boy heading toward her.

She let out a tired smile. "You too Ven. You're getting a lot of better."

Nervously he rubbed his head. "Thanks to you."

As they continued to smile toward each other, a thought kept running through her mind. Many times she wanted to ask, but she didn't want to get Ventus involved with her curiosities. Tonight was different. She felt that it had gone on long enough. "Ven…?"

Ventus opened his eyes surprised. "Yeah?" As she looked away, she wasn't sure how to ask what she wanted to know, but she couldn't help picturing the look on _his_ face every time that they had run into each other. "Aqua?" Aqua blinked as she was brought back to reality and turned her attention toward Ventus. "What is it?" he asked curiously.

Aqua breathed out. "I was just wondering how things were…at home…?"

Ventus gave her a confused look as he stood in front of her. "What do you mean?"

Aqua looked off to the side. That wasn't the best way to ask what she wanted to know so she tried to think of a better way. "I mean…" Her eyes met with his again. "I've noticed that your brother leaves during the afternoon and just takes off. I thought maybe he would be by to pick you up, but he never seems to stop by."

Ventus let out a sigh as he sat down and placed on his sneakers. "I don't know what he's doing either." Aqua sighed internally. Already she wasn't getting anywhere as to what Vanitas was up to and it didn't seem like Ventus wanted to talk about his brother much. "Why do you ask?" Ventus's voice broke her away from her thoughts.

Aqua kneeled down toward him. "I was just wondering if he was working or something. I saw he had gotten that bike and he leaves right afterschool."

Ventus shrugged as he tied his laces. "I don't know. He won't tell either me or my mom." Aqua looked surprised as Ventus told her, "All he does is come in whenever he wants and whenever mom questions it, he gives her money to help with the house or stuff. I guess it's so she would stop asking."

"Hmm…" Aqua couldn't figure out what was going on with him. This information had only made her more suspicious.

"What are you two talking about?" a voice said over them. When they both looked up, they saw Terra smiling down at them.

Before Ventus could answer, Aqua stood up and smiled toward him. "Nothing! Just getting ready to head out!"

For a second, Ventus wanted to question why she had changed the subject or brought up his brother, but then decided to let it go. Terra looked between the two of them. "Did either one of you want a ride home?"

Aqua shook her head as she smiled. "No thanks. I'm just going to walk home with Ven since we're both nearby."

"Fine then. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Aqua nodded toward him as Ventus smiled. "See you tomorrow," they both replied.

When Aqua looked over, she noticed Ventus staring toward the ground somewhat sad. She wasn't sure why, but she knew how to cheer him up. She held out her hand toward him. "Let's go." A small smile appeared on his lips before he grabbed her hand and stood up. After getting dressed, they had left the building and headed back home.

A sigh of relief escaped from her lips as she entered back home. Her day was finally over. No more dealing with her busy schedule. After taking a warm shower, she plopped down on her bed. Most of the time she had missed just staying in her bed, but it wasn't possible anymore. As soon as school ended, she was off to practice after practice. Sometimes she wished it would end, but sticking to her schedule was expected of her ever since she was younger. She flipped onto her stomach as she grabbed onto her pillow and closed her eyes. Overall things had worked out well for her. She had a family and friends that loved and cared for her, she was doing well in school, and had a schedule that kept her busy so that she could get into a good university. It seemed like her life was on track and her future was planned. She was grateful for everything that her parents had done for her, but sometimes she wished that they didn't expect so much out of her. She buried her face into her pillow tired.

Everything around her was covered in silence until she heard the rev of an engine. She sat up and looked outside of her window. She watched as Vanitas had pulled up on his bike next door. His helmet had covered over his face. He headed toward the door as Aqua watched from above. Then Vanitas had lifted his head. Once he saw her, he stopped in place. He took off his helmet and looked up. The two stared at each other, neither being the first to say anything. Before he could walk away, Aqua lifted her hand uneasy and waved slightly toward him. Vanitas gave one last look before he walked inside. No matter how many times she tried to figure it out, she couldn't understand what had changed. When they were younger, he would speak to her often. Now it was just eye contact. She turned onto her side and looked toward her desk. On it, she noticed a handmade bracelet that was given to her on her seventh birthday. At times, she wondered if it was time to get rid of it, but it held special meaning to her. She closed her eyes as she snuggled her head against her pillow. As she had fallen into sleep, she thought about that day she had found the bracelet in the mailbox. To this day, she still didn't know the mystery person that had given it to her.

The next morning, Aqua had gotten ready for school. In the kitchen, she was greeted by her parents sitting at the table. "Good morning Aqua," her father spoke as he tilted his paper down.

A gentle smile went across her mother's lips. "Good morning Aqua."

Aqua nodded toward them. "Good morning." She walked over to the counter. She grabbed a piece of toast from the toaster and held onto the edge by her teeth.

Her mother took noticed. "Aqua... That's not the way we eat our breakfast."

She let out a nervous smile. "Sorry mother."

"I noticed that you're running a little late this morning so Terra offered to take you to school."

Aqua kept a smile on the outside, but inside she frowned, upset. She couldn't stand the times when her mother insisted on calling Terra. She knew that it was just an opportunity for the two of them to get closer. Since they had come from similar families, her mother had highly approved of Terra and had hopes that the two of them would connect. Silently Aqua let out a sigh. It was already too late to stop him. As she walked passed them, they left her with parting words.

Outside, she stood waiting for Terra to show. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone coming out of the other side. Vanitas stretched his arms up as he closed his eyes tight. His back ached slightly from last night's events. He looked over to notice the same pair of blue eyes staring back at him. As much as one wanted to say something to the other, the silence struggle had started again. Part of him wanted to ask why she was standing alone but kept to himself. He climbed on his bike and looked over at her once more. The stare between them had made them both uneasy. She grabbed onto the strap of her bag tightly. His eyes traveled back and forth until he finally sighed and rolled his eyes, giving in. "Do-?"

"Aqua!" They looked over to see Terra pull up. She smiled toward him. Vanitas rolled his eyes again before he took off. Again, she had look over. Lately it seemed like she was always watching him leave.

 _Terra_

 _~The Perfect Gentleman~_

There was silence between Aqua and him throughout the trip to school. He could tell there was something on her mind since she had gotten in with him. As much as he wanted to ask, he had kept it to himself. The two of them had known each other since they were children, introduced by their parents. He was aware that their parents had wanted them to be compatible. At times he wanted to ask what she thought about what their parents were up to, but there never seemed to be a good time to bring it up. Either way, things hadn't progressed between them. Still, he wasn't in a rush since he wasn't sure how she felt, but he knew they were still good friends. They had a lot in common. Both of them were athletic, doing well in school, and looked up to by others. Whenever he was around her friends, they would always welcome him. Sometimes he would overhear teases about Aqua and him. Still there was no mention of how things were between them from her.

After school had ended for the day, he had caught up with her. The thought had been on his mind often enough, but today was the day he wanted to ask. "Aqua?"

She turned back curious. He caught up with her as her eyes followed. "Yes?"

"There was something I wanted to ask."

Suddenly another voice had caught her attention. "Aqua! Terra!" A smile had come on her face as Terra looked over surprised. Ventus had caught up with them. "Ready to go?" Aqua nodded.

The two of them headed out first. She looked over toward Terra as she smiled. "Are you coming?"

Terra let out a small smile. What he wanted to ask, he could clear up another time.

 _Ventus_

 _~The hopeless boy in love~_

He had admired her for as long as he could remember. They had been neighbors for the longest time. As kids, he would come over whenever she was outside to play with his brother Vanitas. Those days together were fun. Whenever she laughed, he had felt strange and couldn't pinpoint why. All he knew was that he had liked to hear her laugh more often. Whenever she had looked at him, he was in awe. It had been that way for a long time. Eventually he had realized that he had fallen for her. As they had gotten older, their time had seemed limited. She had become busy with things that she had done afterschool. It also didn't help that she was in a one grade above him. Seeing less of her over time had made him sad. Eventually, he had discovered another way of spending time with her. Shortly after, they had joined the same class to learn how to fight. Almost every night they had spent time together. At times she would help him with his techniques and walk home with him afterwards. It seemed that they were still the best of friends, but deep down he had wanted to be more. Sometimes during class, he would sit by as he watched Aqua interact with Terra. He had felt left out. A bitter smile had crossed his lips as he looked down. When Aqua had interacted with him, there were times where she would touch his shoulder or rub his hair. It had made him feel special, but then he had seen the way that she would speak with Terra. It made him realize that she had treated him more like a little brother rather than something more. Still something inside of him hadn't given up. She was still free. There was still a chance. Aqua looked over at him smiling gently. In return he had smiled at her back.

* * *

 _~The Runaways~_

 _Xion_

 _~The Alone and Broken~_

Over time she had learned to smile more since the incident months ago. Things for her were finally normal. She was at peace. There were lapses in her memory as to what had happened to her. At times she wanted to remember, but at other times, she thought it was better to leave the past forgotten.

"Xion!"

Surprised, she felt someone grab onto her arm. She looked over to see a dark red-haired girl grin toward her. Xion relaxed as she instantly recognized the familiar face. "Kairi." The times she saw her, she was grateful. If it wasn't for Kairi, she wouldn't have been a part of a new family. The two of them had gotten along really well. Kairi had always treated her like a sister, but now in writing they were. If it wasn't for her, she wouldn't have felt as if she had a normal life again. Now she had a warm bed to return to at the mayor's house with her new mother and father. There were very few memories from her past, but part of that didn't matter anymore. She liked her new life now with her friends.

As they walked, another figure came toward them. Both of them had smiled. Kairi nodded toward Xion as she smiled and waved toward the silver haired teenage walking toward them. He smiled toward Kairi before he turned his attention to Xion. The two had started walking together.

 _Roxas_

 _~The One Who Never Was~_

From the floor above, the blonde, spiked haired boy walked beside his three friends. Hayner and Pence were going on about a beach story they had shared together. A part of him was listening until he looked over the edge of the railing. The slight smile had disappeared from his face. Below, he spotted the raven-haired girl walking and smiling. Every time he had spotted her, all he felt was guilt and sadness in the pit of his stomach. More than anything he wanted to speak to her again, but he held back ever since the day they had met again after what happened to her. The time he had ran into her inside of the hall, he could still remember it clearly.

 _The moment that they had saw each other again, he had called out to her. "Xion!" He grabbed onto her shoulders as she stared at him surprised. "Xion! You're all right!" There was moment of silence between them. His eyes searched her. A feeling of unease came over him. She seemed lost._

 _Then she had seemed to relax. "Oh!" He breathed out in relief. He was glad that she was okay. The first words he heard from her had made his heart dropped in his chest. "Um…? You're-you're Sora's brother right?" His eyes widened and lifted up toward her. He had searched her face, hoping that it was some kind of joke, but the innocent smile on her face had told her otherwise. "Kairi told me that he had a brother. You must be him."_

 _He stared with his mouth open in shock. "You…Xion it's me! Roxas!"_

 _Nervously she rubbed her head. "I'm sorry… I don't…really remember you…" His eyes shook. It couldn't be. Xion looked uneasy. "I…don't remember much since my accident." She walked passed him, feeling bad. It seemed to have hit him hard. "Maybe I'll see you around…"_

Until this day, he still didn't understand how she could have forgotten him, but it also seemed that she thought what happened to her was an accident. Regardless, he had to find a way to make amends. The past had continued haunted him. He couldn't forgive himself for not being there to save her.

"Roxas! Roxas!" Roxas snapped out of his thoughts to feel Pence shaking his shoulder. His friends had looked at him concerned. "You're doing it again," Pence pointed out.

Since they had become his friends some months ago, they had been worried about him. There were times he would zone out while he was deep in thought. When they asked about it, he didn't want to talk about it. Roxas gave them a bittersweet smile. "Oh…! Sorry…" He placed his hand in his pocket and walked. Hayner, Pence, and Olette had followed behind. Roxas took one last glance toward the floor below him toward her again. Another feeling had dwelled in his stomach which made him frown. It seemed that every time that he saw her, she always had the same person walking with her. A few thoughts came to mind about why he was a little upset when he saw Riku walk with Xion, but he couldn't pin the feeling exactly.

 _Riku_

 _~A Chosen Second~_

"How are you feeling today?"

He smiled toward Xion who had smiled back. "You ask that every day. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

She nodded. A relieved smile appeared. The two had become inseparable over the last several months. At first, he had only heard about her through Kairi. Every day she had visited Xion in the hospital. The first time he had offered to go with her was the first time he had officially met Xion. It wasn't the best of first meetings, but he could understand that. She had been through something traumatic. The bruises and cuts on her were noticeable, but he had done his best to be comforting. Xion was silence toward him at first, mainly talking to Kairi since the two had known each other longer, but over time, they began talking. Afterwards, there were times he had visited her alone at the hospital. He was still uncertain about how she had ended there. The little bit she had told him just seemed to fade in the back of her mind. Now whenever he had asked if she had remembered something, she would always tell him that she hadn't. From then on, he decided not to press her on it anymore and to move on. He had made it his mission to watch over to make sure that she didn't get hurt again. Over time, the two had become good friends. They had spoken every day mainly through school. He had grown to care about her.

"Riku?"

"Hm?" He snapped out of his thoughts and turned his attention to her.

Curious she had tilted her head. "What are you thinking about?"

He smiled a little. "Just thinking about…how we met."

It surprised her that it was on his mind, but she pushed it aside. She tried not to remember the reason she was in the hospital. "What's important is that we know each other now." He nodded in agreement.

* * *

 _~Sibling Rivalry~_

 _Kairi_

 _~A princess of heart~_

With school getting out, she didn't want to miss her chance. The thought of what was to come had always made her happy. These times never got old. School responsibilities had always kept them busy, but they had always made time for each other. She made her way toward the field. She noticed all of the teams outside getting ready for practice, but she didn't see the one who she looking for. The thought was disappointing. What if he had already left or it was too late? She let out a sigh. Maybe she had spent a minute too long, but it was important to check on Xion. Now that she was spending time with Riku, it seemed like she didn't need to watch after her as much, not that she needed it, but she had to make sure. Family and friends were important to her, but there was someone else who was important to her as well. As soon as she turned around, she felt herself bump into something hard. She closed her eyes tight. For a second it felt as if someone had placed their arms around her. As much as she wanted to jump, the touch felt familiar.

"Whoa! Hey…!" Her eyes lifted to see the playful dorky grin. "Take it easy Kairi! You don't have to knock me down."

Kairi let out a slight smirk as she pushed him lightly against his chest. "You were trying to scare me again weren't you?"

"Did it work?"

The two grinned as they lean in closer. "You're not funny..." Accepting his embrace, she leaned her head against his chest with her eyes closed. In his arms, she had felt relax and warm. It had taken them a long time to get to where they were, but she was happy nonetheless. As much as she wanted to stay with him, she resisted the urge and lifted from him. "I'll meet you later after you're done with practice."

"You don't have to wait that long."

She smiled toward him. "I don't mind. We'll catch up with each other." Her hand slipped out of his.

He sent her off with one of his sweet smiles. "Then I'll see you later…Kairi."

Watching him smile had always made her do the same. "You too…Sora."

 _Namine_

 _~The Creator of Fantasy~_

Her pencil had stopped against her paper. She turned her attention from her easel toward the window of the art room. Below her she could see the field and all of the players getting ready for practice, but there was one thing she knew was happening at that moment. Her eyes traveled toward the side to spot two familiar faces smiling toward each other. The way they were close to each other had made her uneasy. As much as she tried to not let the feelings come to the surface, she couldn't help it. The smile on his face had made her sad. Secretly she had wished that smile he made was for her. She had always been the one on the outside looking in. She had cared for him for as long as she could remember. Maybe as long as her step sister Kairi, except she had been the lucky one. Most of the time she had thrown herself into her art. It had helped some, but no matter what, she couldn't take her mind off of Sora. She watched as the two separate and their lips move. It was hard to take her eyes away from the scene, but it was something she had seen often. Finally she had turned her attention back to her drawing. Art couldn't reject her.

 _Sora_

 _~The Devoted and Optimistic Dreamer~_

It took a few more seconds before they could take their eyes away from each other. As she walked away, he stood watching. Sometimes he had wondered why it had taken so long for things to take off between them, but either way they were both happy. He had cared about her for as long as he could remember. Now they had become inseparable. The smile increased. He always remembered the lucky charm that he had carried with him. He could still remember the day that she had given it to him. "Sora!" a voice had called out to him. When he looked over, he saw one of his teammates waved and kicked the soccer ball toward him. He smiled. He didn't want to keep Kairi waiting for much longer.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading!_


	2. The Other Side of the Fence: The Past 1

_Thank you for adding this to your favorites and alerts and sending in a review! "The Other Side of The Fence" is the first to start off!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 1: The Past_

 _Ten Years Ago…_

Vanitas poked his head out of his house as he looked over confused. In the yard across the way, he noticed a girl with long, blue hair with her knees bent, staring at the ground. There was a dark glaze over her eyes. Curious he stepped over and peeked over the fence as he stood on his toes. The girl didn't seem to notice. His first thought was that she was strange. He hadn't seen someone like her around before. As he stood there, things had made sense to him. Days earlier he saw a large truck but didn't think much about it. Now new people had moved in next door.

"Hey…! Hey…!" The girl continued to ignore him. He called out for her one more time, but still his calls went ignored. He let out a frustrated growl. A part of him thought about leaving her, but he was curious to know who she was and what was going on. He walked around the fence and entered into the yard.

The girl blinked a few times, confused and worried as a stranger appeared in front of her. Her blue eyes met with gold ones. She looked surprised as he frowned toward her. "It's rude not to answer!" She looked off to the side away from him. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. Vanitas tilted his head, observing. After a few seconds passed, he spoke. "What's your name?"

She pouted. "What's it to you…?" she murmured.

He plopped down on the ground confused. "You're a mean one aren't ya?"

As she looked at him, her eyes widened in surprised. "I am not!"

Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "Then what's your name?"

She stared down toward the ground uneasy, but then looked over at him. "Aqua…" Soon she buried her face into her knees.

He tilted his head again as he frowned. "What's wrong with you?"

"Go away," she muttered.

He felt there was no getting through to her. Vanitas let out a loud sigh and stood up. "Whatever…!" He walked passed her. Suddenly he had heard a noise that made his feet stop. When he looked back, he was surprised. Her body was shaking. The sound he heard was the sound of her crying. He didn't think just talking to her would make her cry. "Hey!" He bent down in front of her worried. He wasn't sure what he did, but he didn't want to get in trouble for it. "What did I say?!" Aqua couldn't stop the tears from dropping no matter how many times she wiped them away with the back of her hands. She had felt worse. Vanitas leaned toward her. He had no idea what was going on. "Say something!"

It took a second for her to calm down. When she was ready, she stared toward the ground. "My mommy… is gone…" she managed to get out.

The answer surprised Vanitas. He wasn't expecting that. He sat back on the ground, unsure what to do in this situation. "What do you mean?"

Her heavy, red eyes didn't lift from the ground. "She was there one second… then…she was gone…" She buried her face in her knees again. "She's gone... for good…" The words her family told her kept repeating in her mind.

His throat tightened, still unsure of what to do. Then he breathed out as he closed his eyes. She froze when she heard him say, "It's okay…" Nervously he looked at her. "It's okay." Slowly she lifted her head. He could see now that he had her attention. It wasn't something that he liked to talk about, but he could see it would help. Tense, he looked toward the side. "It's something my mom says a lot when me and my brother feel sad." His eyes lowered more. "It's just been the three of us for a while."

A surprised look came on Aqua's face. "Is he…?"

Vanitas shook his head with his eyes closed. "He left, but not that way."

"Why?" she asked curious. He looked down a little upset. He could still remember the last time he saw him and the smile on his face. He never understood why. Aqua looked a little uneasy. She didn't want him to get upset too. "You never told me your name," her voice snapped him out of his memory.

"Huh? Oh! My name's Vanitas."

Confusion became written on her face. "That's a weird name."

He pouted as he stood up. "Your name's weird!" he shouted back.

Aqua stared surprised as she watched him walk away. As he walked on the other side of the fence, she ran up to her side of it and stood on her tip toe to peek over. "I didn't mean it like that!"

Vanitas looked back and frowned. He doubted that. "Whatever…"

Somehow talking to him had made her feel better. She gave a small smile toward him. "It was nice to meet you!" He looked surprised. She seemed sincere and a lot better. Not knowing what to say, he slipped inside. It was a weird experience talking to a girl...

The next day, he heard voices outside of his house. When he peeked through the window, he saw Aqua holding hands with an older woman and a man had followed behind them. He noticed that she seemed a lot happier than she was yesterday.

* * *

"Who was that woman walking with you the other day?"

Aqua looked surprised at Vanitas sitting across from her. The two had met again outside in the same place they had met before. "Hm? What are you talking about?"

Vanitas pointed back toward her house. "The lady that was walking with you and that other guy."

Aqua blinked surprised. It took her a second. "Oh! I'm living with my aunt and uncle now. After my mom…"

Once he saw sadness return to her face, he shook his head. "You don't have to say it."

Aqua shook her head, agreeing. "I'm living here now. They're going to adopt me."

"That means that you'll be living beside me then." Aqua nodded as she grinned. Vanitas let out a pout. "So you're probably going to bug me to play with you all the time… I guess that's okay."

She leaned forward as she grinned. "Not unless you don't want me to?"

Vanitas blinked surprised at how close she leaned toward him. It had made him nervous. She let out a giggle as he frowned. "Don't do that!" He started to ease once the teasing subsided. Then they noticed someone walk toward them. At first, they looked surprised, but then Vanitas breathed out as he stared dully. "It's just my little brother..."

Aqua looked interested at Ventus as Ventus looked surprised. "Right! You said you had a brother."

Vanitas sighed. "I have another one." The fact surprised her since she hadn't seemed him yet. Then she gave a welcoming smile to Ventus.

Over time, the boys would come over to visit her. Most of the time, Vanitas stopped by to see her by himself. Almost every day, Aqua and him had seen each other, spending time together outside. Eventually, Vanitas felt comfortable around her to the point where things got mischievous. There were times he thought it was fun to pick on her.

"Heads up!" A loud yell was heard throughout the neighborhood. Aqua looked down at her new dress, horrified. Her eyes rose to Vanitas who held mud in his hand with a big smirk on his face. "Lighten up!" he said as he let out a laugh. Across from him, he noticed that she wasn't laughing, but had given him an upset look. He didn't understand why.

Soon her new parents had stepped out to where she was. Once her mother saw her dress, she looked horrified as well. "Aqua! What happened to your new dress?!"

Vanitas knew that he was in trouble now. Quickly he had hid his hands behind his back. Right away, her parents frowned at him. They turned around and headed back inside still glaring.

"You're in for it now," a voice said nearby. Vanitas turned around to see Ventus come up behind him.

Vanitas frowned upset. "What do you know?"

"That's Aqua's birthday dress. She's going to wear it to her party tomorrow. Remember?" A deep feeling grew in the pit of Vanitas's stomach. Apart of him started to feel bad. Ventus looked up at Vanitas innocently. "She's not going to forgive you for this one." Vanitas looked down uneasy. He knew he had to find some way to fix this.

The next day, he walked over to Aqua's house with a present in hand. A lot of people he knew from school were there. He stood beside Ventus and Sora who walked with him. Sora put his hands behind his head as he looked over curious. "I'm surprised that you're here. Ventus told me that _you're_ in trouble."

Vanitas glared at him. "Shut up…" he whispered between them.

"How did you get to come this thing anyway? Shouldn't you be grounded?" Sora teased. Vanitas's fist met with the top of Sora's head. "OW!" Tears filled his eyes as he held onto his head. His cries started to get louder.

"Shh! Shut up!" Vanitas whispered loudly.

Ventus shook his head with his eyes closed. "This is what I have to deal with every day... He's going to get in trouble again."

"Ventus stop talking and Sora stop crying! You're going to get me in trouble!" Vanitas whispered loudly between them. People were staring to stare. Quickly, Vanitas went to Sora and kneeled in front of him. "All right! All right! I'll give you whatever you want! Just stop crying!"

That was enough to get Sora to stop instantly. "Really…? You promise…?"

"Yes! Just stop crying!" Vanitas tried to calm him down.

Sora wiped his eye and grinned. "Okay!"

Vanitas sighed loudly. He didn't want to owe him, but he couldn't ruin this for him. Vanitas had gone from one upset face to another. He jumped once he saw a pouting Aqua. "What are you doing here?!"

Vanitas held out his present. "Here. I got this for your birthday." She frowned, still mad at him over what he did yesterday. Vanitas sighed. "I'm sorry I ruined your dress." Uneasy, Aqua took his gift and walked away. His gift was taking a step in the right direction.

Sora grinned with his hands behind his head. "Nice going…" he teased. Soon he felt a knock to the head which made him close his eyes tight and grab his head.

As the party continued, Vanitas stood off to the side watching from afar. Mainly he watched as Aqua interacted with some of the girls. It wasn't long ago when it was just the two of them that were friends. Suddenly Aqua's eyes widened in surprised as she pressed her hand on her chest. Instantly that raised his attention. "Have you seen my necklace?!"

Murmurs spread throughout the crowd. Soon everyone participated in searching for her necklace. Vanitas searched under the table, but no luck. He looked around until he felt a crunch underneath his foot. When he raised his foot, his eyes widened scared. The multi-shard, multi colored necklace was shattered underneath his foot. Soon he realized that everyone was staring at him, stunned. When he lifted his eyes, they locked onto a pair of shaking, blue eyes. Aqua stared at him hurt until she had burst into tears. Afterwards she ran inside as the others looked concerned. Her parents frowned at him before following her inside. The stares from the others were too much. Quickly, he grabbed onto pieces of the necklace and held it with both hands. He took off running.

When Vanitas returned that night, he spoken to Ventus to see what happened. The party went on, but the birthday girl wasn't exactly happy. Vanitas felt bad again for what happened. He waited until the next day to see if Aqua would come outside, but she didn't. The day after, he decided to be brave and knock on the door. To his luck, Aqua answered the door first. Instantly she frowned, getting upset. "Go away!" She tried to close the door on him, but he held it open.

"Hold on!" He frowned. "What's the big deal?! It was just some necklace!"

That only made her more upset. She closed the door behind her stepping outside. "What you broke was… the last thing my mom gave me..."

His eyes widened in surprised. She looked down sad. "I didn't mean to!" he sounded anxious. "It was accident!"

"It doesn't matter…" She stepped back inside and closed the door. Now he had realized the severity of what he had done.

"Ow!" he whispered loudly. The hot glue burned him slightly. Trying to fix the necklace wasn't getting him anywhere. He was about to give up when another idea popped up in his head. If fixing the necklace didn't work, then maybe he could turn it into something else. The next day he grabbed some clay and other supplies. It took some time, but he managed to use pieces of the necklace into a bracelet. Once he looked at the finished result, he frowned. It wasn't the best-looking thing. It uneven and a little lopsided, but it would have to do. He just hoped that she would like it.

The next day, he snuck the gift into her mailbox and managed to catch when she checked it. He noticed the surprised look she had on her face before she walked inside. Later, he saw her playing outside. To see how she was, he stepped outside and cautiously approached her. He noticed there was a smile on her face which made him nervous. Once she noticed him, the smile disappeared, but her expression didn't turn into anger. "Hi…"

Uneasy, she looked down. "Hi…"

He bent down toward Aqua as he looked curious. "I am sorry you know. I didn't know it was important. I was trying to look for it like everyone else, but I ended up stepping on it." Vanitas dropped his head as he shook it. "Just my luck…"

Aqua could see his remorse. She couldn't stay mad at him especially with her gift she had just gotten. "It's…okay…" Vanitas lifted his head surprised. She turned her head away from him. "We have to be neighbors so let's be friendly."

"What changed your mind?" He had already suspected the answer but wanted to hear from her to make sure.

A smile appeared on her. She held out her wrist to show him the bracelet. "It's very weird. Someone took pieces of my mom's necklace and turned it into some weird bracelet."

He wondered why she had called it weird. He guessed because it wasn't typical. "Do you…like it?"

Aqua nodded as she smiled and looked down at it. "Yes. Wearing that necklace was a little itchy but the bracelet works out better." He was relieved to hear that. Things had worked out. Aqua put her finger to her chin. "But the person who sent it didn't put their name on it. I wonder who it could have been." She gave a suspicious look toward him. "Was it your way of saying you're sorry?"

His cheeks turned a little red, almost falling back. "What?"

"Hmm…?"

His eyes traveled everywhere but hers. She continued to grin. "You got your apology. Just leave it at that…"

Aqua gave a sweet smile and giggled a little. Watching her had made his heart beat a little faster. Something about her had changed that he couldn't figure out. All he knew was that he was glad to have her as a friend again. "Can you do me one favor?"

"What's that?" he asked, curious.

She poked him in the forehead which made him close his eyes tight. "You can't be mean to me anymore! I'm not going to forgive you again if you do!" She continued poking him. "No more throwing mud!"

He pouted as he crossed his arms. "Fine…"

 _Four Years Ago…_

Something was different about her that he couldn't put his finger on. Somehow, she had become his height, but that wasn't the only thing. It had taken some time, but he had finally figured it out. Walking home from school, there was something he wanted to test out. They stopped in front of Aqua's house. She smiled toward him. "I'll see you tomorrow I guess."

"Hey Aqua?"

"Yeah?" Then her eyes widened in surprised. It took her a moment to register that he had poked her in the chest. He was pretty sure that was thing that had changed about her. Right away he had slapped his hand away. "What are you doing?!"

"These are new." Soon, he felt a hard punch to the arm. "Ow!" She scoffed and walking inside her house, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Things had been quiet as he lied in bed. Nothing much was going on that day. Occasionally, Vanitas would glance out of his window. His eyebrow arched once he noticed two figures walking on the sidewalk. He recognized Aqua but not the guy that walked with her. He started to get suspicious as he noticed both of them smiling toward each other. Deciding to investigate, he sat up.

Outside of her house, she stopped at her door. Nervously, she smiled. "If you want, you can wait inside until my parents get home. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"Are you sure?" he asked. Nervously, she nodded. He smiled a little. Both of them were caught in a stare. Soon he moved in closer toward her. Part of her had known what to expect. Inside she was anxious as he moved in closer.

"Hey!" The two looked over to see Vanitas approach them with his hands in his pockets.

Aqua looked uneasy. Vanitas continued to stare at the stranger suspiciously. He had never taken his eyes off of him. "Um…Vanitas? This is Terra. Terra this is my neighbor Vanitas. He was just _leaving_."

Vanitas looked over at her. Even though she kept her smile on, he could tell behind it, she was trying to get him to leave. That wasn't going to happen. "I don't think Aqua's parents would like someone else staying over while they're gone."

Terra looked confused. "But Aqua just said-."

Vanitas glared toward Aqua. "Besides, there's something else you need to do _right?"_ Aqua gave him a confused look. "You're were helping me remember?"

Aqua had no idea what he was talking about. She decided to go along with him though she wasn't sure why. "Sure… I should help Vanitas… We'll meet up again next time."

Terra looked surprised. "Okay…? I guess I'll talk to you later then…"

She smiled toward him. "Will do."

Terra turned and walked away. Vanitas and Aqua watched until he was out of sight. Suddenly, Vanitas felt a push against his chest. "Wha-?"

Aqua frowned at him with her arms crossed against her chest. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Vanitas stepped up from the step he was standing on to where they were at eye level. He gave a visible frown. "Me? What do you think you're doing?"

Aqua looked surprised. "Huh?"

Vanitas smirked. "I know what you were about to do," he teased.

Her cheeks turned red as she turned nervous. "What?! Nothing!"

"Listen braceface. I'm sure that things would have gone wrong so I saved you back there." He pointed toward the door. "You gonna let me in or what?"

Without thinking she covered her mouth. She couldn't stand when he pointed out her braces. "I told you not to say anything about that!" She stepped closer toward him pouting. "And why should I let you in?"

He smirked. "Because I can show you how to be good."

For a few seconds she stared at him frowning, before she unlocked the door. "I can't believe you…" she murmured.

Vanitas stepped inside. The place was bigger than he thought on the inside. All of their decorations had seemed expensive. Then he noticed a violin in the corner and wondered if Aqua had played. Aqua closed the door behind her as Vanitas continued to look around. He looked back toward her. "So where's your room?"

Aqua blushed a little, especially at how blunt he was. "And what makes you think I would show you that?"

Vanitas tilted his head as he smirked. "The last thing you want is your parents seeing me."

Aqua sighed frustrated and headed upstairs. "Why did I let you in here again…?" Aqua opened the door to her room. Vanitas stepped in. He was surprised. Her room was very neat and organized. It wasn't what he had expected. Aqua looked upset. "All right! What's the big deal?"

Vanitas smirked, turning his attention back to the matter at hand. "You want to be good so you can impress this guy right?"

Aqua arched his eyebrow, suspicious. "Why do I feel like you're up to something else…?"

He gave a half smile, half smirk. She really could read him. "Just sit down." Curious, she sat on the edge of her bed. Her eyes followed as he sat on the bed beside her. Vanitas bounced a little as he looked down impressed. "Wow this bed is really soft."

"Vanitas focus."

He turned his attention back to her as smirked slightly. "If you follow my lead, you won't kiss like an idiot."

Aqua frowned. "What makes you an expert? How many girls have you kissed?"

"Enough!" he boasted proudly.

Aqua breathed out. "So? What should I do?" He leaned in as he smiled, but instantly she pulled away. "What are you doing?"

"What better way to show you then to do it."

He leaned in again but she pressed him away, a little upset. "Was that your plan all along? That I would just go along with this?"

Vanitas shrugged. "Yeah." She crossed her arm as she looked down uneasy. He breathed out as he looked forward. "I don't get it. You just met the guy, didn't you?"

"Our parents introduced us to each other."

He looked over curious. "Seems kind of arranged don't it?"

"Like this?" She let out a small smirk of her own.

He smiled. There was no used hiding it. "Fine…you got me."

Aqua smiled, proud. "So you admit you were jealous?"

Right away he frowned. "What?! Over that guy?! No way!" He looked down uneasy. "You're a girl-." He pointed toward her chest. "-with those things big enough to kill." She frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sure any guy would try."

"Like you?" Vanitas let out a sigh. Silence crept between them. On and off she glanced at him as he stared down. Then he stood up from the bed. Aqua blinked, curious as to what he was up to. "Where are you going?"

He looked back calm and slightly disappointed. "I'm going home." Things may not have ended up like he hoped, but at least, for this one time, he didn't have to witness her with someone else. For now, that was good enough for him.

Aqua smiled gently toward the floor, thinking. "I guess… in some weird way you're right." She stood up, keeping her smile on as he turned toward her curious. "Selfish or not, thanks for looking out for me." The two stared at each other as they turned quiet. The same thought kept recurring in his mind. It had pushed him to step closer toward her. His movements were cautious. Her eyes followed as he leaned closer toward her face. His lips parted as his eyes lowered to a close. All of a sudden, he felt her finger against his lips which made him open his eyes surprised. "But first… you have to admit that this was a part of your plan."

"Fine…" he groaned.

"Admit it was apart of your plan," she pushed him to tell.

Heavily he sighed as his head dropped. Maybe he could admit this once. "Yes…! It was apart of my plan…!"

She laughed a little as her fingers went up toward her lips. Her reaction caused him to smirk. It amused him that she knew him better than he thought. As things calmed between them, their eyes met again. His eyes searched hers to see where they would go from there. Cautiously he leaned in again while he watched her reaction. It seemed that she wouldn't move away this time. Lightly his hand pressed on the side of her waist. Anxious he leaned in as he closed his eyes. It was brief moment between them before they parted. It wasn't what he had expected. Her lips had felt soft to the touch. Afterwards she grinned. "That was all I needed to know? Seems easy enough."

"Then you try." Taking him up on his challenge, Aqua leaned in as her hands pressed against his chest. The kiss between them lasted longer than the last. When they parted, they couldn't help but smile. "You're not bad at this," he whispered.

She grinned. "You shouldn't have doubted me so called expert or was that made up too?"

Uneasy, his eyes traveled down. "Hmm…"

"It's okay you know. You could have just told me the truth." As he tried to hide it, she tilted her head so that she could read his eyes. He breathed out. It was a little embarrassing how he tried to impress her. Then he looked over surprised as she leaned in closer toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Again," she whispered. That brought a smile to his face. Their lips had met again. His arms wrapped around her waist, pushing their bodies closer together. Then he decided to try something different. His tongue slipped in. He grazed over her tongue and braces. Uneasy, she pulled away from him. "What was that?"

He blinked surprised. "I just wanted to try something different."

She breathed out. "Maybe… not that…" He nodded. He leaned in again, pressing her lips to her.

A few minutes later, they heard a voice call from downstairs. "Aqua!" At first, the two didn't hear the call, but once the voice got closer, they parted quick. "Aqua! Are you home?"

A worried look came on her face. "My parents are back."

Surprised he looked at her. "What should we do?"

Quickly she searched around for a solution. "You have to hide or you have to find a way out! You can't use the front door!" She rushed over toward the window and then looked back at him. "The window!"

He looked down at the distance between him and the ground. "Are you crazy? I'm not breaking my neck!" he whispered loudly.

Aqua looked at him anxious. "Just be careful and I'm sure you could get down."

He let out a loud sigh. Following her idea, he climbed out. "You owe me for this."

She smiled. "You're the one who invited yourself in." He smirked at her, admitting she had a point. He stared at her as he climbed down. Suddenly his foot had slipped. He fell down into the bushes below. Aqua looked down worried as she leaned out of the window. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" he groaned. She gave him one last smile before she closed her window.

Her parents had entered into the room. They looked curious. Something had seemed off. "I thought that you were inviting Terra over for lunch."

Nervously she smiled. "He ended up leaving. Maybe next time." They were confused at first but decided not to question it further.

Outside, Vanitas brushed off his shirt and stared up toward the window. He didn't expect things to work out the way they did. As he walked back to his house, a smile stayed on his lips. He got to have his first kiss with the girl next door.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! Part two will be coming soon!_


	3. The Other Side of the Fence: The Past 2

_Thanks for reading! Here's the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 2: The Past:_

 _Two Years ago…_

"Here you go." Vanitas dropped off a package for a customer. The man smiled toward him before he took off on his bike. Lately, things were hard for his family. His mother was stressed with expenses so he had gotten a small job doing deliveries to help since Ventus was still young. After his last delivery, he rode home.

On the steps, Aqua was sitting when she had noticed him ride by. At the sight of him she smiled and caught up with him. "Done for today?"

Vanitas breathed out, relieved as he climbed off of his bike. "Yeah."

She placed her hands behind her back. "So is it hard?"

"Not really. Just a lot of picking up stuff and giving it to people."

During their silence he stared toward her. Whenever he saw her during his long days, it made him forget everything else that was going on. "So…?" She twirled around. "Do you like my dress?" Today he noticed that she seemed dressed up. She wore a nice white, spaghetti strapped dress with blue lace decorations at the top.

"Yeah," he answered.

She seemed excited. "My parents got it for me as an early present. They said that they were going somewhere nice. I guess I'm meeting up with Terra and his parents."

There wasn't much of a reaction to her news, but inside it had bothered him. "Oh..." His eyes traveled away from her as he walked with his bicycle. "Have fun with that…" She looked concerned as she watched him walk. It surprised her that he didn't say anything else. During their conversation, that reminded him that he had to figure out what to get her this year, but with helping his mom there wasn't much he could spend. She was lucky that she didn't have to worry about money.

The next day, there was another delivery run. Vanitas leaned his bicycle against the wall in the alleyway. He grabbed the delivery and knocked on the back door to a store. A man opened the door and let him in. After it was done, Vanitas stepped outside. Once he looked toward the wall, his eyes widened. His bike was already gone. Panic filled his body. Nearby he searched around. He couldn't lose that bike otherwise he couldn't deliver anything. He ran further down the alleyway. He wasn't afraid of the darkness at that moment. He was more afraid of losing his job. Eventually he spotted a man carrying his bike. "Hey!"

The man looked back. He ran away from him with a scared look on his face. Vanitas didn't seem to notice his expression as he kept running after him. Suddenly someone stepped out and knocked the man down. A few other men followed and grabbed the man from the ground. "No! No!" the man cried out. By the time Vanitas caught up, he saw the man being carried away. It didn't matter what was going on. He was determined to get his bike back. He followed the men to an abandoned warehouse. Loud noises came from inside. Vanitas peeked inside one of the broken windows. Inside, he saw a man tied to a chair with blood covered over him unconscious. His eyes widened in surprised. He had never seen anyone hurt like that before expect in movies. He looked over to see the men who had captured the thief toss him on the floor. Vanitas didn't want to see what would happen next.

As soon as Vanitas turned around, he bumped into a large, tall man who had a deep frown etched on his face. "What are you doing here kid?" Vanitas looked uneasy.

Inside of the warehouse, a smirk came on the face of their caramel colored leader. Soon he became distracted once Vanitas was forced into the room by the collar of his shirt with the tall man behind him. The older man frowned. "What are you doing bringing a kid here? You better have a good reason."

"Caught him outside. Says the guy stole his bike."

Vanitas lifted his eyes toward the man that spoke. Once he saw him, he was stunned. The man had the same colored eyes that he did. He hadn't seen that in another person. The man smirked at him. "Go ahead. You can get your bike." Vanitas walked over and grabbed it. "You should be more careful next time." Every time his eyes tried to meet with the man's, he would look away. Nearby he could hear the sound of the thief's cries as he was being kicked and punched. The man noticed that Vanitas had a bag on his shoulder. "What were you doing to have your bike stolen by this man?"

Vanitas glanced down. "I was…making a delivery…" he murmured.

A smirk came on the man's face. "Well I'm sure that this has held you up." He walked over to Vanitas which had made him uneasy. He nodded toward the tall man nearby. The taller man walked over to Vanitas which made Vanitas uneasy as well. He flipped out a few bills and handed it to Vanitas. Vanitas stared at the money surprised. It was more than he had made today. "I'm sure this will more than cover it." As much as he wanted to ask, he decided it was best not to. He noticed that the man was smirking at him. "There's no need to be afraid. What's your name?"

"Vanitas…" he said uneasy.

"Vanitas. Well then! Maybe I could enlist your help sometimes." He looked toward the tall man. "Lexaeus. Make sure that Vanitas finds his way out." He turned his attention to Vanitas. "If you ever want to make some extra money let me know."

Vanitas walked away. Lexaeus looked over toward the older man uneasy. "Master Xehanort. Are you sure about this? This kid has already seen too much."

A smirk appeared on his lips. "He'll be back, but if for some reason he's doesn't, I'm sure you could persuade him." Lexaeus frowned. He wasn't sure about this, but he would trust Xehanort.

Vanitas was surprised at what happened. He had made way more money than he ever had in a day of working. If we could keep making the same, then his family would be okay. The thought crossed his mind of trying one more time. Still there was that feeling of unease that followed behind.

A few days later, he returned back to the abandoned warehouse. After thinking about it, he knew what he could use the money for. Not only for his family, but he could get a nice birthday present for a certain blue haired girl. He peeked inside. It wasn't crowded like it was the other day. He searched around more. It seemed like no one was there. He was about to leave, but then ran into the man he had been searching for. "Ah Vanitas!"

Vanitas looked uneasy. "You still remember me?"

"Oh course! What can I do for you?"

Vanitas's eyes traveled back between him and the floor. "I was wondering if there was anything you needed for me to deliver?"

Xehanort smiled at him. "You came at the right time. I actually do." Vanitas followed in behind him.

Since that day, he began to make deliveries whenever he was called to. Things had seemed to be working out well, until one night when he had realized what he had actually gotten himself into...

One delivery hadn't gone so well. In an alleyway, he met with another boy, but instead of things going smoothly, the boy tried to grab the concealed bag from him. The two became locked in a struggle. The bag soon came undone. Once Vanitas saw what was inside, he stood in shock. "What…?" He watched enough movies to know that what he saw wasn't right. The boy pushed Vanitas away and stolen the bag. He was in too much shock to go after him.

After a few minutes, he returned back to the abandoned warehouse where he was greeted by Xehanort. "Ah! How did it go?"

There was an angry look on Vanitas's face. "Why didn't you tell me what I was carrying?!"

Xehanort chuckled a little. "What did you think you were carrying?" Vanitas didn't have an answer to that. Xehanort stood up as he smirked. "How stupid can you be?" His words made Vanitas uneasy. Xehanort walked toward him. "Where did you think that money was coming from that you've been getting and so much of it?" Vanitas looked toward the ground. He couldn't believe that he had been so naive. Xehanort looked curious and interested. "Now that you know, what are you going to do?"

Vanitas growled under his breath. This was not what he wanted to be a part of. He headed toward the door. "I'm out of here."

Before he could step out of the door, he was blocked by Lexaeus. He crossed his arms in front of him. Xehanort waved his hand. "Bring him over." Lexaeus grabbed onto the back of his shirt. Vanitas struggled, but then was pushed down on the ground.

Xehanort sat back down in his chair. "I see a lot of myself in you Vanitas. Don't make this mistake." Xehanort noticed the dark glare Vanitas gave him. He let out a laugh. It was going to be fun to break him.

Vanitas stood up upset. "I'm not going to tell anyone. Just let me go."

Xehanort waved his fingers. "Hand me the money that you made today." Vanitas froze. His reaction was enough for Xehanort to realize he didn't have. He waved two of his fingers to the side as a signal. "Lexaeus." Before Vanitas could turn his head, he felt a very strong punch to his face. He fell down to his knees stunned from the impact and grabbed onto his jaw. He hadn't felt pain like that before. He breathed out to subdue it. Xehanort looked down at him. "Looks like you're in my debt until you can get that money back." Suddenly Vanitas felt a kick toward his stomach which knocked him over. He grabbed onto his stomach as he groaned in pain. Xehanort watched as he writhed in pain. "You're too soft, but I can fix that." While he was on the floor, he listened to Xehanort's words. "I see _potential_ in you." He stood up and pressed his foot against Vanitas's neck which Vanitas closed his eyes tight. Finally, Xehanort began to show his true colors.

"Pathetic…! I know all about you boy." He lifted his foot from his neck. Vanitas took a deep breath in and out. "You are nothing and that's how the world will see you." Vanitas pressed on his teeth, angry. "You were trying to help that mother and brother of yours isn't that right? That wasn't getting you anywhere."

Vanitas took a sharp breath in. How did he already know that much about him? Xehanort rubbed his chin with his fingers. "It must've been hard without a father." The words struck Vanitas in his chest. "Someone who just left you without looking back. If you worked for me, we would treat you like family. All you would have to do is join me and you wouldn't have a worry in the world. All your problems would be solved." Vanitas kneeled as he stared down uneasy. Taking his silence as a willing yes, Xehaort continued. "Now come back tomorrow. I have something else for you to do." Vanitas's mind was clouded. He wasn't sure what he should do, but Xehanort made it clear of the consequences.

In silence he headed back home as he stared toward the ground. As the sun was setting in the background, Aqua gazed outside of her bedroom window. Below she noticed Vanitas heading back with his face toward the ground. She hurried out of her bedroom and headed down to meet him. Before he could go in, he heard her voice, "Hey!" He was about to lift his head to her, but then thought of how his face might look. She smiled toward him. "Hey look!" She smiled as wide as could she pointed toward her teeth. "I just got my braces off so you can't say anything about them anymore."

"Oh…"

She noticed that something was off about him. She tried to look him in the eye, but he kept moving his head away. Impatient, she placed her hand on his face and lifted his head. For a second, her breath shortened. She saw that there was a dark bruise under his eye. "What happened?" she whispered.

He took her hand away as his eyes couldn't meet her. "It's nothing…"

She started to get worried. Her thumb grazed over bruise which he winced in pain. "Tell me."

He moved his face away from her. "I told you it's nothing! I have to go." He walked inside of his house leaving her outside to worry about him.

Over a few weeks, Vanitas delivered what he was ordered to. A few times, he had run into a few issues as and whenever he had to report back, he accepted his punishment usually handed out by Lexaeus. When the mistakes got too many, Xehanort had another thought in mind.

One night, Vanitas walked into the abandoned warehouse tired. His delivery was over for tonight. Inside of the warehouse, there was only Xehanort who was sitting at his desk along with Lexaeus who stood nearby with his arms crossed. Vanitas tossed the money on the desk. "I'm done for tonight."

Xehanort didn't lift his eyes from his desk. "We're not done yet. You came up a little short this week."

Vanitas glared toward him. "I checked! I made up for it!"

"Really…?" Xehanort sounded curious.

Vanitas growled under his breath. "No more! We're done."

As soon as he turned around, Lexaeus was standing in front of him. Vanitas glared toward him. Then he noticed that Lexaeus had a chain in hand. Seeing the chain made him think that this it was going to be the worse punishment yet. Vanitas sent a punch toward him, but Lexaeus caught his fist. He squeezed his hand which made Vanitas's eyes wince in pain. He twisted his arm around his back. He tried not to cry out. "There's no point in struggle. You have two choices at this point," Xehanort warned. Lexaeus locked the chain tightly around Vanitas's wrists which he looked surprised. "You can either obey me or you can die right here." Now was the time to break him.

Since Vanitas didn't answer him, Xehanort made up his mind. "Take care of him. Break his bones if you'll have to."

Vanitas's eyes widened worried. "No!"

Right away, Vanitas felt himself on the ground. The hits seemed harder than before and it seemed endless. This time it was more than just Lexaeus's fists. All the time, he knew that Xehanort was watching. His cries of pain didn't seem to faze him. His head stayed near the ground as his knees were tucked under him. As much as he tried to block the physical pain from Lexaeus and the sharp, painful words from Xehanort, he couldn't. Even his happiest memories couldn't block it out. He thought of his family, but mainly he thought of the blue haired girl from next door and the way she would smile at him. Eventually he could his body go numb while he was still beaten and his cries had turned silence. His eyes traveled down to see his own blood spreading underneath him. He was sure that it was mind coping, but soon he had saw Aqua reaching out toward him as she smiled. Maybe that was death's way of calling out to him.

"That's enough." The words that had granted Vanitas relief but brought him back to reality. He barely felt conscious, but was still aware enough to hear his words. "You need me. You need my help. Do you acknowledge me?" Xehanort's words faded into the background. Vanitas's mind or body could no longer take any more pain. "Yes… Master."

The response made Xehanort smile. "Good." He stood up from his chair. "Leave him Lexaeus. Let's see if he survives the night." Lexaeus went over and unlocked Vanitas's hands from his chains. As the two walked away, Vanitas tried to call out for them. He didn't want to die alone and wanted to plead for help. Soon Vanitas was left alone. As much as his body struggled to get up, he didn't have the strength. His eyes lowered to a close as he slipped into darkness.

* * *

Aqua glanced out of her window worried. She noticed that Vanitas didn't come home since yesterday. Her hand baled into a fist and pressed against her chest. She couldn't stand the waiting. Suddenly she heard a noise outside. Anxious she looked over. There he was walking toward his house. She waved her hand to catch his attention, but he would lift his head. Something had seemed different about him. His body swayed, almost falling. Determined, she jumped up from her bed. Vanitas stepped inside. Before he could close the door, he felt it being pushed open. Inside he was surprised, but he was to worn down to show it. He saw the blue haired girl standing beside him. Worried, she leaned in and hugged. His eyes closed tightly in pain. Instantly it brought back memories of earlier.

Aqua took notice. "What's wrong?" Her eyes searched over him. She looked down his hands. She noticed there was red rings around his wrists. Her eyes lifted to him surprised. "What happened?" His eyes wouldn't lift from the ground neither would he speak. He seemed very out of it. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was going to figure it out.

Later in his room, she removed his shirt as they sat on his bed. She noticed there was some blood on it. No matter how many times she asked, he hadn't said a word since he returned. She pressed an ice pack against his back which made him sigh in pain. Her eyes traveled along his body. It was red and heavily bruised with a few cuts bleeding. Scared she lifted her eyes to him. The look in his eyes were dark and lifeless. "Vanitas…" she called out to him. She wrapped her arms around him as she closed her eyes. "Who did this to you?! Please! Tell me!" His eyes lowered to a close. It felt as if his body had given out. Soon he fell into darkness. She took notice and lied him on his side where there were less bruises. Her fingers ran through his hair. She still couldn't figure out what was going on with him. All she knew was from that moment on he had changed.

 _Present day…_

Aqua frowned as she stared at the paper in front of her. Why did math have to be her enemy especially in the last year of high school? She didn't know how many times she erased her answers and came up with something new. Suddenly she heard a loud sigh from nearby. She snapped out of her thoughts. When she looked back, she was surprised to see who was beside her. "This is pretty easy when you think about it." She stared at him stunned. Vanitas took her pencil and wrote down the answer she was looking for. Aqua didn't know what to be more surprised at: how fast he figured it out or the fact that he was speaking to her. "Watching you figure that out was just painful…"

Aqua frowned a little as she turned toward him. "This isn't easy you know." She leaned her face against her hands. "I don't know what it is about this class, but this is giving me some trouble."

"It's not that hard." She looked up at him.

"Then show me." She stood up curious. "Help me figure it out."

* * *

He glanced toward the side, unsure if that was a good idea. Then he glanced back at her. She was always hard to say no to since they were kids. "Fine…" She smiled at him. Not only because he was helping, but because she had the chance to actually talk with him again. She never understood why there was distance between them.

It was starting to make him uneasy, but deep down apart of him didn't mind. He could feel her gaze upon him. Finally he looked over, annoyed. "What?"

She shook his head and looked down at her paper. "Nothing."

The two sat on the bed beside each other going over homework in his room. He felt uneasy about having her there, but he knew her house was off limits for him. A few minutes later, he noticed that she was doing it again. He frowned and looked over at her. "Stop doing that."

Aqua looked down. "Sorry…It's just been a long time since we've been together like this." Silence crept in between them. Maybe he didn't feel like talking much, but she wanted to find out what was going on with him. "So…? Your brothers say that you haven't really been spending time with them."

He arched his eyebrow. "Where did you hear that from? Ventus or Sora?"

"Kind of both…"

"Hmm…"

She leaned back on her hands. "I thought that you would have been by to pick up Ven from practice."

He kept staring down. "He has you to walk him home."

She frowned at him a little because of his answer. It seemed like he didn't care. She decided to change the subject. "I noticed the new bike that you have. You must be doing really well." Again he didn't respond. It was frustrating. Her eyes traveled over toward his hands. She wondered if he had been hurt again just like she remembered in the past. Cautiously she reached over. Before she could touch his arm, right away he grabbed her wrist. Out of instinct, he reacted. He stopped himself from squeezing any harder once he realized it was Aqua that he was holding onto. When she looked at him, there was a cold glare in his eyes. It had scared her slightly, but mainly because she didn't understand it. He never minded before, but now what had changed? He let her arm go, never taking his eyes off of her. Then he returned his attention back to his work. There was a slight tug at her lips. She wasn't getting anywhere. She breathed out and lied down on her stomach as she held looked down at her book.

He handed her paper toward her. "This is wrong. Do it again."

She took the paper from his hand. "Thanks for your help." She looked over toward him, but he kept staring down. "You're smart when it comes to this, but I notice… you don't show up to school sometimes…How come…?"

It took a moment for him to response. "I'm busy."

She looked surprised. It wasn't much of a clue, but it was something. "Vanitas-?"

"What?!" he said, annoyed.

She looked down uneasy. "I don't understand what's going on with you."

"What's with the questions all of a sudden?!"

Aqua looked down uneasy. "I was just…worried about you…" It was a last effort hoping that he would tell her what was going on.

It made him feel uneasy. Then he turned away from her. "Don't! Worry about yourself!" He looked upset toward her. "Just go! Why don't you get your friends to help you or Terra?!"

"…Because I asked for your help. I knew if anyone could…" Her eyes lifted to him. "…you could."

Vanitas breathed out. It couldn't be helped. She was starting to get to him. In silence, he lied down beside her on his back with his hands behind his head. Aqua let out a smile. He was finally starting to relax around her. It was starting to feel like old times. Apart of him didn't want to ask, but he couldn't help but be curious. "I'm surprised that you didn't ask him."

Curious, she looked over. "Why would you say that?"

"You're with him right?"

Aqua gave him a surprised look. "What?"

"You're with him all the time."

She looked off to the side. "It's because of my parents. They really want me to like him."

"And…?" he asked curiously.

She looked down. "I don't know. It's…" She shook her head. "I'm not sure… how I feel…"

It brought him a little relief to hear that. He looked back at his paper. "Then don't." As she looked over curious, he avoided eye contact. "Don't force it right?"

Aqua smiled. For the short time Vanitas was the person that she once knew. That had made her happy again. She nodded toward him. "Right!"

Suddenly she heard his phone ring. He checked it and then answered. "Yeah? Right. I'll be there soon." Aqua looked over curious as he spoke. She watched as he sat up and noticed the serious look on his face. "I have to go."

"Is everything okay?" she asked a little concerned.

Vanitas stood up from his bed. "Yeah. I have to go."

Surprised, her eyes followed him. "But we're not finished." Vanitas walked out of the room. Aqua wondered what had all of a sudden changed. Then her eyes spotted the phone on his bed. It wasn't right to look, but this was her chance to find out what was going on. At first, she hesitated with the words repeating in her head that it wasn't right. She glanced out of the door to make sure, and then grabbed his phone. She searched through his contacts. The last number that called was private. That didn't get her anywhere. Then she heard a noise. Quickly she copied down his number and placed it in her phone. Then she placed his phone aside on the bed. Once Vanitas entered into the room, he noticed that she seemed nervous but brushed it aside.

"I'll see you later then…" Aqua grabbed her stuff and headed out. She would figure out what to do later.

Later that night, Aqua stepped out of practice alone. While it was quiet, she decided to pull out her phone. She still felt uneasy about spying, but she had to make sure that Vanitas was okay. The thought of seeing him beaten again or worse had scared her greatly. For a second, she hesitated, but then, slowly, she went through her phone. She had to call.

In the alleyway, Vanitas stepped back as he checked his phone after he knocked down a boy in front of him onto the ground. "Hey! Time is money. No phones."

Vanitas glared back at Xigbar who smirked at him. Afterwards, Vanitas let out a frustrated sigh and then hung up. He didn't recognize the number. On the other end, Aqua looked at her phone surprised. She tried one more time. Hearing his phone ring once again, Vanitas sighed louder and answered. "WHAT?!"

The words escaped Aqua as she walked. The tone of his voice threw her off. She was at a lost, but this was her chance. "Hi…"

Vanitas took in a sharp breath stunned. "How did you get this number?!"

Demyx looked back behind him a little concerned. "Hey! We could use a little help here! He's getting away with the money! He ran toward the warehouse!"

Right away Vanitas hung up the phone as he let out a growl. He couldn't screw this up.

Aqua blinked surprised for what she had overheard and wondered what to do next. Vanitas was out there somewhere and she was close to finding the truth. She took off running. If only she knew where he was, but at least she had a clue. He had to be somewhere nearby. She searched down a few alleyways, but there was no sign of him. Before she knew it, she reached a part of town that was quiet.

All of a sudden, she saw a boy running across the street hurt and disappear into another alleyway. The sight made her stop in her tracks. It seemed like he really needed help. "No! No!" She heard the words of the boy hidden. Cautiously, she peeked around the corner to witness a masked man grabbed onto the collar of the boy. She wasn't sure what to do. He was in trouble. Aqua took a second look before she grabbed her phone. The helmet the other person wore seemed very familiar. Could it have been? "Just let me go or else…"

A dark laugh came from inside of the helmet. It put Aqua on edge. Part of her recognized the laugh, but now it had seemed more twisted. "Just give me what you owe and then I'll be on my way." The boy stood quiet and afraid. Then he was pushed down to the ground. Aqua couldn't watch much longer. She could see the blood on the knuckles of the masked figured. Part of her knew that she should have stopped him, but she froze. She couldn't believe what she saw. This wasn't the person she knew. The masked figured grabbed money out of the boy's pocket. Things had clicked in her mind. Maybe this is how he was getting the money. "Get lost."

The hurt boy took off running. Once the masked man was alone, everything inside of her had pushed her to confront him, but she couldn't now. This was too much. Soon Vanitas had taken off. She decided to follow him. There had to be more to what was going on. Eventually he had led her to an abandoned warehouse. She kneeled down along the side and peeked through the broken window. Inside Vanitas was talking to an older, caramel colored man who had his arms behind his back. Things started to make more sense to her. Feeling that she had stayed there long enough, she turned to head back. Soon she spotted two pairs of feet right behind her. When she looked up, she saw two men who frowned at her. Worry filled her.

"Where are you going?" the blonde haired man asked. Aqua didn't answer. She tried slipping pass, but then she felt her wrist being grabbed. "I think she saw too much don't you think?" Luxord asked.

"Yeah," Xaldin agreed.

Luxord let out a smirk. "We're going to have to do something about. Let's bring her in."

Aqua's eyes widened. Using instinct, she stomped as hard as she could onto Luxord's foot. Her arm slipped out of Luxord's hand as he yelled and took off running. His yell caught the attention of the people inside of the warehouse. Vanitas looked over confused as Xehanort looked over upset. They saw someone running but couldn't catch a good glimpse of the person. "What happened?" Xehanort asked.

Luxord looked over along with Xaldin who was angry. "There was a girl! She was spying on us!"

For some reason, the news surprised Vanitas, but he wasn't sure why. It was unusual to see a girl around. Xehanort glared toward them. "Then what are you waiting for?! Split up and go find her!" Soon everyone took off running.

Aqua could hear noises behind her. They were on her trail. She had to find some way to lose them. She slipped inside of an alleyway. She glanced back to make sure that no one was close. Nearby she noticed some trash cans. She knocked over a trash can to block them just in case and took off running. As she glanced back, she suddenly felt her foot trip over something on the ground. Her body hit the ground as she closed her eyes in pain. She felt pain through her body, but mostly through her ankle. When she looked over, she noticed a heavy box behind her. It sounded as if it was filled with glass. Then she turned her attention back to her ankle. She leaned over to touch it. It felt as if it was sprained. Ignoring the pain, she knew there was no time to sit. She stood up while trying not to put pressure on her ankle. Again she looked over toward the direction she ran from. It still seemed like the men were further behind. If they caught up, she would fight if she had to.

Then her eyes traveled down, thinking that it had started because she had followed Vanitas. Part of her wondered if it was a mistake, but no matter what, she was glad to know what was going on. Knowing that she couldn't stay there much longer, she turned to start walking as fast as she could.

When she turned, her eyes widened in surprised. All she saw was black.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!  
_


	4. The Other Side: A Dangerous Position

_Thanks for reading! Here's the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 3: A Dangerous Position:_

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Aqua felt herself falling, but all of a sudden, she stopped. She didn't feel the hard ground underneath her but felt something holding her instead. She didn't know what she ran into and if she had finally been caught. Slowly and on edge, Aqua opened her eyes. The next sight surprised her. A pair of golden orbs stared at her. Confusion was written on his face, but behind his eyes, there was concern and relief. His mouth parted, stunned. "You!" Vanitas helped her to stand up straight and let go of her. Soon she relaxed around him. Vanitas cursed under his breath. "What are you doing here?!"

A concerned look came to her face. "I'm sorry. I just had to know."

Vanitas placed his hand against the wall, leaning against it. A very loud sigh left his lips. He couldn't believe what she had done. "You could've gotten yourself killed out here!" Aqua watched him in silent. At that moment he seemed more stressed.

"Over here!" The two could hear more voices nearby. Quickly, Aqua and Vanitas turned their heads toward the voices. Several times, Vanitas cursed before he looked at Aqua. "You need to go!"

"You're not going to turn me in?" She wondered what he would say.

Vanitas looked over at her upset. "No. You have no idea what they'll do to you and there's no way I'm getting involved." He reached over and grabbed her hand. He ran forward as he pulled her along. A few times he struggled to hold onto her hand as it continued to slip out. Her falling behind was starting to pull him back. Finally, he looked back, anxious and confused. "Why are you running so slow?!" Aqua stopped, pulling her hand away from his. Heavily she breathed out as she leaned against the wall, tired and in pain. "What?!" Below he noticed her lift her foot back off of the ground. There was blood on her leg nearby where her ankle was. Vanitas bent down to look at it. "What did you do this time?!"

Aqua looked down toward him as her eyes winced in pain. "When I ran away from those guys, I tripped and I hurt my ankle. I didn't think it was this bad."

Vanitas held her ankle in his hand and squeezed a little pressure on it. "That hurt?"

Aqua sighed in pain. "Yeah…"

Afterwards, Vanitas stood up and looked toward the direction of where the guys were following them. The sounds were faint. They weren't too far behind. He breathed out. Only one idea came to mind that would get them out of this. "You can be a real pain sometimes…" He kneeled down with his back turned to her. "Get on…" Aqua stood surprised at what he suggested. An angry look came on his face as he started to get impatient. "What are you waiting for?! Don't just stand there!" Snapping out of it, she climbed onto his back as her arms wrapped around his neck. It was a struggle, but he managed to stand up and grabbed onto her legs to hold her steady. He looked back toward her. "For someone who's supposed to be smart, this isn't one of those times… and you're heavy."

Aqua's eyebrow furrowed at his insult. "If you're just going to insult me, then just leave me here."

"I don't think you want that. Hold on." Vanitas looked back before he took off running. As he traveled through the alleyway, her legs bumped against his pockets, causing the roll of money he was given to hang out of the edge of his pocket. Vanitas glanced down as he ran. All of the money slipped out and fell onto the ground before he had a chance to grab it. He sighed loudly as he stopped and looked back. Aqua looked back as well. Vanitas looked back and forth between Aqua and the money, debating on whether or not to grab the money scattered about. Finally, he growled and took off. There was no time to disappear and get the money. It was one lost he had to take.

As he ran, Aqua stared at what she could see of his face. A lot of questions came to mind which concerned her. Then she sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder blade. The worry was starting to overwhelming. "Tell me…why did you do it?" she whispered.

Vanitas pressed down on his lips. At that point, he wasn't ready to answer.

Half way home, Vanitas had quit running, figuring that he had lost the other guys in the alley. He glanced behind him to Aqua who had her eyes closed and possibly asleep. Now that they were in the clear, he relaxed a little. He stared at her for a little before he headed home. A few minutes later, he stopped in front of his door. "Hold on for a minute."

Carefully, he helped Aqua off of his back so that she could stand on her own. She stood, elevating her ankle while Vanitas checked inside to see if anyone was home. It didn't look as if anyone was. He wrapped her arm around his shoulder as he helped her walk inside. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up. It seemed like it would be a struggle to help her up. Heavily, Vanitas sighed. Aqua looked over surprised as Vanitas bent down. Before she could ask, she felt herself being picked up. "What-?!"

Vanitas frowned toward her. "It's easier than spending all night trying to get you up there." A little red came to her face as she looked up at him. It felt strange being that close to him. "Why are you so heavy?" Right away her feelings of nervousness dropped. Her hand pushed hard against his chest. When he looked down, he saw her cross her arms upset. His eyes rolled. "Fine…you're light as a feather..." Still unhappy with his sarcasm, she looked off to the side. He breathed out and walked upstairs into his room. He sat her down on the edge of his bed. Afterwards, her eyes watched as he walked out of the room. While Aqua waited for him, she looked around. The room was a bit messy with clothes and other things around on the floor.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him come back in. When he did, he had a first aid kit in his hand. He bent down in front of her and slowly removed her sock and shoe from her hurt leg. Aqua's eyes lowered, concerned. "You don't have to do that."

He reached into the kit and began cleaning the blood from her leg. "The sooner I do this, the sooner you go home and there'll be no question."

A frowned appeared. She wasn't going to dismiss what happened that easily. "Yes! There will." Vanitas sighed silently under his breath. He didn't want her to start again. Soon her expression turned to unease. "Thanks for helping me…"

Vanitas took some of the bandages from the kit. "Whatever," he muttered. "Just stay out of it next time."

Aqua's shoulders tensed, almost afraid to ask. "What…were you doing tonight? Why were you in that abandoned warehouse…?"

Vanitas started wrapping the bandages around her ankle. "Don't start," he warned.

Aqua looked anxious. "But-!"

Vanitas wrapped the bandages around her ankle tightly which made her sigh in pain. He lifted his head as he looked angry. "Don't start!" his voice sounded colder.

Aqua became upset. "And that's your warning? Hurting me?" He clutched his teeth, getting angry. "Vanitas. They're just going to end up hurting you. Maybe just like how you hurt that boy tonight." Then a thought had dawned on her. Her words made her remember a few years ago when he had came home beaten. What if the men she saw had already hurt him? "Did they-?"

Vanitas stood up and turned away from her. "You're done now so go!"

Aqua wasn't going to back down now. Not when she was close to finding the truth. "I'm not leaving."

Vanitas pressed down on his teeth, angry. "Fine!" He walked over and tried to pick her up, but she refused to move, pulling her weight away from him. Frustrated, he leaned on the bed in front of her, face to face. "Leave it alone!"

"No!" Her blue eyes glared into his piercing, gold ones. "I don't care what you do! I'm not leaving here without an answer! Now tell me! That night you came back, beaten, were those the guys who did that to you?!"

Vanitas leaned up as he placed his hands on his face, covering both his eyes. Loudly, he sighed. Aqua pressed on. "Who was that man that you were talking to? The one who had given you the money?"

"None of your business!" he shouted back.

"He's just using you! I heard everything he said to you! He's probably saying all of that to you just to keep you around!" she tried to get through to him.

Vanitas walked in front of her and placed his hands on top of her legs. "Don't you think I know that?!"

Aqua searched his eyes for an answer but none came. Then, her expression turned serious. "How much is he paying you?"

Vanitas stood up and walked around the room. "It doesn't matter. It's because of you that I lost my cut for the week!"

"Do you need money that badly that you have to hurt people?" Vanitas's eyes traveled down. He didn't intend on answering that. Soon, Aqua looked down. "I can't… pay you as much as you've been getting, but I'm sure I can give-."

"I'm not taking your money!" Vanitas held his hands out at his sides. "Why do you care so much?! It's not like it's hurting you!"

"No…" she replied concerned. "But it's hurting other people. You've been in trouble before. What if this time you end up hurt again or worse?"

"Look! I-!" Soon, he stopped before he had given too much away.

Aqua lifted her head up. "What?" Vanitas growled out of frustration. She was starting to get under his skin. Aqua stood up which Vanitas looked surprised. As much as he wanted to tell her to sit, the words never came. Aqua limped toward him. "I didn't follow you for nothing."

Suddenly, Vanitas turned more toward her with a serious look on his face. Before Aqua could speak, she felt herself forcefully pushed on the bed. She tried to sit up, but his hands grabbed onto her arms and pressed them further down against the bed. His body came over. Underneath him, she opened her eyes to see a cold, menacing glare in his. "If I tell you, what will you give me in return?" she could hear the darken tone in his voice.

For a moment, she could feel worry dwell in her chest. Unable to move, she felt vulnerable. Maybe he had changed into someone she hadn't recognized. Maybe he had become more cold and unfeeling. Apart of her still held out hope that he was still the boy she once knew. As she searched his eyes, her worry started to fade. Behind them, she thought she saw his concern. It could have been another way to get her to stay out of helping him. She closed her eyes as she breathed out and relaxed her body. Whatever it took him to stop, she would be prepared. Her eyes met with his, determined. "I won't tell anyone. Until then, do whatever you want."

Vanitas sighed as his head dropped. His scare tactic didn't work at all. "Don't talk like that…" It was always annoying when she could call his bluff. He also knew that she would keep her word. He lifted up from her and then tried to help her up. "Let's go."

Aqua pushed him away, upset. "I told you I'm not going home!"

"Shut up… I'm just sitting you back up before you start complaining about your foot." He finished helping her sit up and then sat down beside her.

Things became calm between them. Uneasy, she looked over at him. "Please tell me…. What do you do while you're out there?" Vanitas stared toward the floor, debating whether or not to tell her. The silence between them began to make Aqua anxious. She looked down toward his lap where his fingers were resting, intertwined. The dry blood from the boy he had hurt earlier was still visible on his knuckles. Cautiously, she reached over and slipped her hand in between his. A part of her was worried that he would react by pulling away or grabbing her again, but he didn't. She looked up to see the unease in his eyes. She looked down toward his hands again. The tips of her fingers grazed against the palm of his hand. His skin felt rough to the touch. Before she could she grab his hand, he moved it away and stood up.

A few seconds later, he turned to her. "My boss lends out loans to people and sells goods you can't get anywhere else. I get a cut for every job I do. When it's time to deliver, that's when I get called in. If they don't pay on time…" his voice became colder. "…we handle things from there."

Aqua felt uneasy as she listened. Part of her was unsure if she wanted to know more. Thoughts of what could have happened while he was out there worried her. "How far…do you take things?"

Vanitas placed his hands in his pockets as he looked over toward her. "Are you asking if I ever killed anyone?"

Aqua didn't reply. The more she thought about the question, the more she didn't want to know the answer. She didn't know how she would react if the answer was yes. Since she didn't say anything, he decided to answer her. "I haven't." He sat down on the edge of the bed. "At least as far as I know."

Some relief washed over her, but she still felt anxious about digging deeper. "What you do…? Is that why you got in trouble the first time?"

He leaned forward as he thought back to when he had been caught one night by the authorities. "Yeah…"

He lied back on his back with his hands behind his head as he sighed. Silence came between them again. After hearing everything, he wondered what she thought of him now. If she wanted to cast him aside just like everyone else had. All he knew was the silence was killing him. Her back remained turned to him until she breathed out. She lied back on the bed beside him. Their eyes met. Hers were filled with concern as his was filled with unease. Hesitant, her hand reached over and gently touched his cheek. How long had it been since he let her get close to him like this? For a moment, he had let go of everything weighing him down and closed his eyes. Everything had just seemed to fade away. Aqua always had a way of comforting others. She released the breath that she was holding in deep within her stomach. Vanitas didn't pull away from this time. They weren't fighting. It was just the two of them alone like old times, except the new reality kept pushing in the back of her mind. "Don't do this anymore… Please?" she whispered between them.

Slightly his face tensed as he sighed with his eyes closed. He slipped out of her hand and sat up. "I'm taking you home. Now."

Anxious, she wasn't ready to go yet. She had to find some way to get through to him. "You shouldn't listen to that guy! None of this will end well!"

Vanitas shook his head and picked her up. "Let it go. I told you too much anyway."

Aqua became disappointed and silent. It didn't seem like he would listen. Deciding not to fight him anymore, her eyes drifted to the side as he carried her. He walked across to her house. Once they were at her door, Vanitas let her stand up on her own. Aqua looked toward the door. The thought of her parents inside dawned on her. "I guess I should've called them first. It's passed when I usually get in." Aqua looked over at Vanitas. "Please don't do this anymore." She wanted to make one last plea. Vanitas stood in silence in front of her until he turned around and walked away. He left before she could say anything else. Aqua watched as he headed back to his house. For now, she would leave it alone. It brought her a little relief that he didn't say no. After he disappeared, she headed inside of her house.

In the living room, her parents rose up from the couch, worried and upset. Her mother made it to her first. "Aqua! Where have you been?!"

Nervously, Aqua smiled. "Sorry I was late."

Her mother looked down to see the bandages wrapped around her ankle. "What happened to you?!"

Aqua closed her eyes as she smiled. "I hurt myself. It's no big deal."

"Is it sprained? What about your practice tomorrow? Will you be able to make it?" her mother asked concerned.

It was nice for Aqua to know that her mother cared more about her practices than her. Ignoring the sarcasm in her mind, she smiled to assure her mother. "I'll be fine. It just needs a few days."

A frown appeared on her mother's face. "Well be more careful next time! I'm taking you to see the doctor right away tomorrow!" Afterwards, her mother grabbed onto her arm. Along with her father, they helped her upstairs to her room.

Across town, the men that were working with Vanitas before returned back to the abandoned warehouse. Xigbar placed some money on the table in front of Xehanort. Curiously, he looked at it. "We looked everywhere for that intruder, but they got away. Then we found this on the ground."

Xehanort counted it for himself. His eyebrows furrowed. "This is the money I gave Vanitas. Where is he?"

The men looked at each other before they looked at him. Demyx shrugged his shoulders. "We don't know."

Xehanort looked down at the money again. Something had seemed off. It was the exact amount he had given Vanitas and Vanitas was the only one who hadn't come back yet. It had only made him suspicious. Then, he looked back at the men and let out a smile. Hopefully it wasn't anything that would interfere with his operation. "Keep an eye out just in case you spot this intruder again and next time you see Vanitas, keep an eye on him too." The men looked confused. "Just report back to me if you see anything… _interesting_."


	5. The Other Side: Too Close

_Thanks for keeping up with the story! Here's the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 4: Too Close:_

The morning sun was shining brightly in the sky. Aqua stepped into the schoolyard as she looked around. It took a few days for her leg to heal on its own, but the memory of that night was still fresh in her mind. Ever since then, she hadn't spoken to Vanitas about what happened, but she was still anxious to. "Are you sure you don't need my help?" Aqua turned her head to see Terra walk up beside her.

Aqua smiled and nodded to assure him. For the past few days, he had been helping her around which she had been grateful for. "I'm okay. Thanks for your help."

He pointed toward the distance. "Did you want a ride home?" As they walked through the crowd, she noticed a familiar face and spiky black hair. He was staring down at his cellphone. Determined, she paced over to him. Terra became surprised and curious. "Aqua?"

For a second, she had forgotten his question. She turned her head as she smiled toward him nervously. "Oh! Um…? Not today! I'll catch up with you later." She waved toward him before she took off. Terra stood confused as to what she was up to.

Near the front of the school, behind the fence, Xigbar and Demyx walked over and kneeled down near the bushes. They spotted Vanitas walking toward the side of the building while he was staring at his phone. Over the past few days, they had checked on him occasionally. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Mainly it got boring, but it was what they were ordered to do. "Here we go again…"

Demyx looked over at Xigbar curious. "Do we have to keep following him? We haven't found out anything," he groaned. "I could be playing my sitar by now..."

"Quit your whining…" Xigbar turned his head back forward. "There's got to be something interesting."

As Vanitas checked his phone, he was little surprised but mostly confused. There weren't any messages. Usually, he had gotten a tip about a job by now, but it had been unusually quiet over the last few days. Suddenly, his phone was snatched from his hand. His eyes widened, surprised. "What the-?" he started the yell.

Quickly, he turned around to see Aqua with an angry look on her face. "Don't do this!" she whispered loudly.

The anger on his face grew more. "I told you to stay out of it!"

Aqua grabbed onto the strap of her bag tight. "No!" As she walked away, she held onto his phone. If words wouldn't work, then she would have to try a different way. Vanitas couldn't believe what she done. He ran and caught up with her. Forcefully he grabbed onto her arm and pulled her toward the side of the school where they could be alone.

Xigbar and Demyx watched them step out of the crowd. Xigbar let out a smirk. "Well…what do we have here?"

Demyx looked surprised and curious. "Who's that?"

"I don't know, but let's find out." Xigbar waved to Demyx. He followed him toward the corner of the fence covered in plants that were wrapped around the wires. From there, they could hear what they were saying.

Vanitas and Aqua stopped on the side of the school. Upset, he let go of her arm. "Give me the phone!" Aqua placed her bag on the ground and glared directly at him, refusing to move. He pressed down on his teeth as he went for her hand. Her arm lifted up out of his reach. It became a struggle since she was little taller than him. Vanitas stepped in closer. Aqua stepped on the tip of her toes, gaining a few more inches above him. Vanitas placed his hand against the wall and leaned toward her, ignoring how he was only inches apart from Aqua's body and face.

A few seconds later, he managed to grab the phone from her hand. The two glared at each other upset. "Don't answer! That guy is just using you and things are only going to get worse from there!"

Vanitas pressed down on his teeth as he growled. "Didn't you learn your lesson the other night?! If anyone is going to hurt, it's you!"

Xigbar and Demyx blinked surprised. They looked at each other wondering the same thing. Was she the person that they were chasing the other night? It seemed like she already knew about Vanitas's work. Aqua calmed down a little. "I just hurt my leg because I tripped. That's all."

Vanitas glanced down at her ankle. "It looks like it has gotten better."

Aqua nodded as she smiled a little. "It is better." Afterwards, Vanitas turned and started walking away. Aqua grabbed onto his arm, pulling him back. "Vanitas!"

Frustrated, Vanitas turned to her. "Get off my back and stop following me! This has nothing to do with you!"

She frowned toward him. "I'm not letting you get hurt or worse!"

Vanitas turned toward her as he glared. His fist baled at his side. She was really getting under his skin. "You know what you're acting like? You're acting like a nagging girlfriend! That's what you're acting like!"

Instantly, her body froze. She wasn't sure why she had that reaction, but afterward ignored it. "I'm not nagging!" Aqua baled her fists, upset. "And I'm not your girlfriend!"

Vanitas looked back at her as his eyebrow arched. "Good because if this is how you're going to act, then I wouldn't want you as one!" He headed toward the front of the school.

Aqua sighed loudly. He frustrated her to no end. Once she turned the corner, her eyes widened as she came to a sudden stop. Staring back at her were Yuna and Rikku who were stunned and Paine with a frown. Aqua's expression turned into embarrassment. They stepped closer to her. "Is everything okay?" Yuna asked concerned.

Rikku leaned in toward her curious. "What were you doing just now especially with him?"

Paine crossed her arms. "Kind of an odd place to be alone with a guy."

Aqua begun to stutter. "It's-It's- It was nothing!"

Rikku placed her hand on her side as she grinned. "Well if shouting with a boy in front of the whole school, telling him he's not your boyfriend, isn't something..." she teased.

"He's not," Aqua assured them.

Rikku grabbed her arm and pulled Aqua along as Yuna and Paine followed. "Good because you can do way better!"

"Rikku!" Yuna scolded, concerned.

The conversation had made Aqua feel uneasy. Nervously she smiled as she placed her hand on Rikku's arm. "We should get going." Her friends nodded and walked with her.

After they disappeared, Xigbar and Demyx stood up from where they were watching. They felt they had gotten enough information they needed to report back. They headed back to the warehouse where Xehanort was inside. After he noticed them come in, he placed his arms behind his back. "So? What do you have for me?"

Xigbar bumped his gun against his shoulder. "We did as you said. We followed the kid around."

Xehanort arched his eyebrow. "And? What did you find?"

Xigbar let out a smirk. It almost seemed ironic what they found. "Turns out the person we were chasing last night was a girl. Better yet, she's a friend of Vanitas. He helped her escape the other night."

Demyx looked over at Xigbar a little upset. "She's not his friend, she's his girlfriend."

Xigbar shook his head a little. "No she's not... Weren't you listening? They had a whole argument about it."

Demyx shrugged. "Either way, I think that he really likes her."

Xehanort let out a smirk. Maybe this was exactly what he needed to know. "Keep following her. You may have just helped me figure out how to keep Vanitas within my grasp..."

* * *

After school was over, Vanitas headed home as he stared at his cellphone. Still, there was no call from Xehanort at all. He didn't like feeling on edge like this. "Vanitas," a voice called out to him.

Surprised, he looked behind him. Aqua ran and caught up beside him. The smile on her face made him more uneasy. "Not again…"

Aqua waved her hands. "No! No. It's nothing like that."

Vanitas rolled his eyes, not believing that for a second. "What are you up to this time?"

Aqua shook her head. "Nothing!"

Vanitas sighed and kept walking. Together they stopped by his house. Vanitas arched his eyebrow as she stood beside him smiling. "What are you doing?"

"Coming in," Aqua replied cheerful.

He gave her a dull stare. "Go home." He unlocked the door, but Aqua slipped inside behind him. Vanitas sighed and closed the door behind her. Aqua stood with her hands in front of her. Vanitas sighed again and then headed upstairs. She was acting weird toward him and he was sure he knew why. Aqua followed him upstairs to his room. Vanitas placed his stuff on his dresser and then placed his hands in his pockets. "You want something? Water?"

Aqua nodded as she sat down and she placed her hands on her lap. "Yes! Thank you." Vanitas turned and headed downstairs. After he was gone, Aqua stood up and grabbed his phone. She searched through his contacts. When she got to the bottom, she saw a number but no name. "Could this…be it?" she whispered to herself.

"So? At least I know why you're here now." Aqua jumped at the voice and turned her head toward the doorway to see Vanitas leaning in it with his hands in his pockets. Her lips moved against each other, nervously. She wasn't sure what she could say. He walked over and took the phone away from her. "You never give up do you?"

Curiously she looked at him. "Is that it? The number with no name? Is that your boss?"

Vanitas looked at the phone with the number highlighted. "Are you going to call?"

Aqua stared at his phone for a moment before she closed it in his hand. It would be another chance to find out more about what was going on, but how far would it truly get her? "What's his name?"

Vanitas stared at his phone before he looked back at her. "Xehanort." Aqua smiled at the fact that he was opening up to her now. Her persistent had paid off. "Now will you go and get off my back?"

Aqua headed toward the door. "For now…" She turned to him one last time. "Well…I have to go. See you later." Afterwards she left.

Vanitas waited in his room until he heard the door close downstairs. Suddenly, his phone rung which made him surprised afterwards. "Hello?"

On the other line, the smirk increased on Xehanort's face. "Vanitas."

Vanitas casted his hand into his pocket. "Yeah?"

"I was wondering if you would be able to come here tonight. I wanted to talk with you."

Vanitas felt uneasy about just the two of them talking especially without any work for him to do. Still, he would go to go see what it was about. "Okay."

Later that night, Aqua finished her jujitsu practice and headed outside. She waved back at the other people who were leaving as well. Once she was alone, she stretched her arms up and breathed out. Then she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. _"I guess I better let my parents know that I'm heading home right now. It shouldn't matter that much since they're out on a date…"_ She pressed the phone to her ear.

As it rung, two guys stepped in behind her. Aqua continued to wait until she felt someone take her phone out of her hand. She became surprised. Before she could turn around, she felt something pointing at her lower back. "Don't scream if you know what's good for you."

Aqua glanced back to see a man pointing a gun into her back. "Start walking into that alley over there."

Worried, she did what he said and walked into the alley. As they walked, she started to think of a plan to escape. After they were further in, Lexaeus wrapped his arm around her neck, squeezing the breath out of her and lifting her off the ground. She tried to pull his arm off of her, but it was no use.

Xigbar smiled at his partner. "This is the easiest job we had all week."

"Let go of me!" Aqua managed to get out, but Lexaeus covered her mouth so that she would draw less attention. She continued to struggle but soon felt herself losing consciousness. Before she could see who the men were, all she saw was darkness.

* * *

Vanitas went to the abandoned warehouse where he planned to meet Xehanort. He was there waiting alone. Vanitas stepped in front of him. "You wanted to see me?"

Xehanort smiled. "Yes…" There was a moment of silence before he spoke. "I wonder if you have been… more distracted lately."

Vanitas became confused. "Distracted?" He had no idea what would make him think that.

Xehanort arched his eyebrow toward him. "Yes. You didn't come back the other night."

Vanitas shrugged a little, trying not to look away from him. "I didn't find whoever was here so I went home."

A smirk came on Xehanort's face. "Really?" Vanitas felt a little uneasy, wondering if Xehanort could tell if he was lying. "You know... We have to make sure not to risk the safety of our business, especially not letting anyone else in on it."

Vanitas's face tensed, confused. "What are you saying?"

"This is a dangerous business Vanitas. You shouldn't risk letting anyone close to you know about this or things will have to be… How should I say this…? Handled?" Inside, Vanitas became worried. Xehanort must've found something out. Why else would he be telling him this? It would be worse especially if he knew about Aqua. "And things will be handled soon enough." Vanitas snapped out of his thoughts, hearing those words. It sounded threatening. Xehanort's eyes traveled over toward the window as his smirk increased. Vanitas's eyes followed to where he was looking. He knew he was up to something, but what? What did he already know? As they stood in silence, the word 'soon' stuck out to him. Then a thought crossed his mind which made fear shoot across his body. No one else was there. What if his threat was now? Xehanort looked back over at him. Vanitas could see the chilling smirk and cold look in his eyes. "So Vanitas-?"

Vanitas ran out of the room in a flash. Xehanort let out a smile. He knew Vanitas was smart enough to get his warning.

* * *

In the alley, Lexaeus carried Aqua over his shoulder unconscious as Xigbar followed along. They stopped in front of another abandoned building. Inside, there were boys sitting around until they noticed the two approaching. The boys stood up as Lexaeus and Xigbar entered in. Instantly, they became upset. "What do you want?!" the leader of the boys shouted.

Xigbar smirked as he held up his hands. "Hey! We're not here to start anything. We just came here as a courteously of our boss. We know there's been some problems lately and he wants to keep your business so we just wanted to drop off a peace offering." Lexaeus sat Aqua up against the wall. The boys looked surprised and confused. Xigbar smirked over toward them. "He likes to make sure our customers are happy." He waved off as Lexaeus and him left. "She's all yours! No charge!"

After they disappeared, the boys looked at each other unsure of what to do. Soon their leader stepped over toward her and kneeled down. His fingers grabbed underneath her chin, tilting her head. "Peace offering huh?" His eyes scanned along her body. A smirk came to his face. "Not bad... That's a body to die for." Aqua groaned as she closed her eyes tight. Her hand rubbed against her neck where she still felt a little pain. Her eyes met with that of the boy in front of her. "Hello sleeping beauty…"

Surprised, she slapped his hand away and leaned back, trying to create some distance between them. "Who are you?! Where am I?!"

The pain only lasted for a second, but it didn't lessen his smirk. "Fiesty too. You were dropped off here especially for me." His hand rubbed along the side of her waist. She slapped his hand away again. Before he could reach for her again, he felt a punch to the face. Instantly he grabbed his nose as he let out a yell and closed his eyes tight. Aqua slipped passed him, seeing that as her chance to escape. She headed toward the door, but suddenly felt her wrist grabbed. "Let go of me!" With her other free hand, she sent another punch toward him. The boy let out another yell. The other members of his group rushed in and grabbed onto her wrists. She sent back an elbow and knocked one of the boys in the face. The rest pulled her away as she struggled. Anger stirred in the leader's eyes as he wiped the blood away from his nose. The boys dragged her over and made her sit on the ground. One of the boys looked back. "What do you want us to do with her?"

Angry, the leader slammed her down to the floor on her back. Pain coursed through her body from being slammed down. As she struggled, his hands pinned down her shoulders. "This one is mine!" She placed her hands on top of his, trying to get him off of her. A crazy smirk appeared on his face. "I guess I'll just have to teach you a lesson! I've got my own plans in mind! We're going to have a lot of fun together! Aren't we?!" Her legs struggled but it wasn't enough. She kept struggling, but she was getting tired.

Suddenly, there were noises nearby them. The sounds of groans and yells filled the room. The leader looked back. "What-?"

Before he could finish, the bottom of a black boot met hard with his face. "Get off her!" the voice hissed at him. The boy hit the ground hard and went unconscious. His breathing became heavily as he struggled to breath through his broken nose. Regaining her breath, Aqua opened her eyes to see who had saved her standing above. The piercing glare from his golden eyes was enough to put a scare into everyone in the room. They grew more frightened as figure approached him. "Wait! Wait-!" Vanitas threw a hard punch to the face, knocking the boy who spoke first down to his knees. Afterwards he felt a swift knee under his chin. Blood spilled from his nose and mouth.

Aqua sat up as she breathed heavily. Nearby, she watched as Vanitas continued to beat the other boys without mercy. Aqua pushed herself up worried. She had to stop him before he ended up killing someone. Aqua rushed over and wrapped her arms around Vanitas's waist, struggling to hold him back. "Stop it!" In his fit of rage, he barely heard her. Her arms squeezed him tighter as she continued to struggle. "Stop it! Just stop!" The moment overwhelmed her. With everything she had been through, it was hard to take. The feeling of guilt overtook her. As she kept her eyes closed with her head pressed against his back, for a second, she felt him stop. Vanitas turned to her and wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could. Inside, he was worried to think of what would have happened. If he would have been a second late, she would've really been hurt, scarred, or worse. He never would have been able to forgive himself if that happened. He never wanted to drag her into this.

During their moment of peace, he kneeled down along with her. Her hands squeezed tighter onto his arms over his black, leather jacket. She wasn't sure why, but she couldn't stop shaking. Her face stayed buried in his chest. The embrace of his arms and his scent started to calm her. He leaned his head toward her. "You okay?" he whispered in her ear.

Suddenly they heard clapping nearby.

Quickly Vanitas looked back to see Xigbar stop toward them with a smug smirk. "Well…! I didn't think that number one would get so worked up over some girl." Vanitas pressed down on his teeth as he glared toward him. "She must be pretty important." Lexeaus and Demyx stepped in. "I guess you called it Demyx. Now what else does she know?"

"She doesn't know anything!" Vanitas responded right away.

"Right… So she wasn't the one we were chasing the other night because she decided to snoop in on us?" Vanitas pressed down on his teeth. They had known all along about Aqua. Xigbar twirled the gun in his fingers as he walked over to him. He pointed the gun toward Aqua's head. "Let's tie up some loose ends then. Since the girl knows too much, we have the right to do whatever we want." Xigbar couldn't help but grin at the cold glare in Vanitas's eyes. It was just too funny. "You're gonna protect the girl who knows about us?" Vanitas pressed down on his teeth hard as he held Aqua tighter toward him. His mind raced on how he could get them out of this. "You can do something about it or I can. You don't want to betray us right? We're the ones whose family."

Vanitas clutched his teeth. He had no choice if he wanted to protect Aqua. His eyes traveled to the ground. "Fine…"

Xigbar held out his arms skeptical as he laughed. "You'll get rid of the girl just like that?! I doubt it!"

"Back off! I know what to do!" Vanitas yelled.

Xigbar shrugged. "All right."

Vanitas pressed his head deeper in the crook of neck. His eyes still watchful just in case someone tried to make a move. "When you get the chance, run. I'll try and clear a path for you. Don't look back. Don't come back for me," he whispered. Vanitas felt uneasy. The odds weren't in his favor, but the thought crossed his mind that this would be the last time they would see each other. "I shouldn't have gotten you into this…" Vanitas tried to stand up as he pulled Aqua away from him. Suddenly she grabbed onto his arms, stopping him. Vanitas struggled to get lose from her. "Let go."

"Awe… I don't think she wants you to go…" Xigbar teased. Quickly, Aqua turned and with the back of her hand, knocked the gun out of his hand. Surprised, Xigbar looked over and then looked forward. He closed his eyes tight and let out a yell as he felt a hit to the face. Demyx jumped back surprised and worried as Lexaeus's frown deepened.

Vanitas looked surprised. "What are you doing?!"

Aqua looked determined and stood beside him as she got ready to fight. "I can't just leave you here. I can fight too. I froze up before but I'm not going to do it again. We either leave or we go down together."

Vanitas growled. It was better than her getting caught and he couldn't defend her. He looked around at each opponent to see who would take him on first. "Fine! Just don't have me save your butt."

"I'll try not to," she assured him.

Xigbar wiped his mouth as he looked upset. "You know what will happen if you betray us."

Aqua glanced over toward the side. She knew one thing that could end this. She took off running toward the gun on the ground. Xigbar looked surprised. "Hey!" Vanitas rushed in and tripped him on the ground. Lexaeus headed toward her. He tried to grab her, but she dodged and placed a kick against his stomach.

Vanitas headed toward her, but then noticed the other boys getting back up. One boy ran toward them which Vanitas punched him down. Soon, the others ran in. Aqua kicked some of them off as Vanitas punched down the rest. During the fight, Aqua grabbed the gun before anyone else could. She looked back to notice someone come after Vanitas. "Vanitas!" He looked over at her surprised, but she had rushed in and punched the guy away.

Vanitas looked back, impressed and then looked over at Aqua. "I guess I could use you to watch my back."

Aqua nodded. "You watch my back. I'll watch yours." Vanitas smiled. The two continued to fight alongside each other. The leader of the other group groaned as he got up. Ahead he could see Aqua and Vanitas. Angry, he searched around. Finally he spotted a metal pole. He grabbed the object and rushed toward them. The boy ran toward Aqua first. Out of the corner of his eyes, Vanitas noticed him getting closer to Aqua. His eyes widened. "Aqua!"

Aqua looked surprised and then looked back. She saw the attacker right in front of her. Her eyes widened, worried. It was too late to move out of the way. "Die!" the boy yelled.

Suddenly, Vanitas stepped in front of her and pushed her back. Her eyes watched as Vanitas fell toward the ground. He had taken the blow to the head instead of her. Before the boy could attack again, Aqua reached behind her and pulled out the gun she grabbed. The boy stopped worried. "Stop this!" Shaking, she moved around making sure no one came near them. "Leave us leave! Now!" As she watched, she kneeled down. She placed her hand on Vanitas's back. "Let's go." Vanitas moaned, feeling disoriented. Aqua helped him up. She wrapped his arm around her shoulder and stepped back as she watched the others. As soon they were out, Aqua tossed the gun aside and took off.

Xigbar smirked. Tonight, there was certainty enough to report back. "The boss isn't going to be happy about this…"

* * *

Once Aqua felt they were far enough away, she helped Vanitas lean against the wall. Concerned, she placed her hands on his cheeks, checking his face. "Vanitas? Vanitas? Are you okay?"

"Hm." Vanitas stumbled back with his eyes closed. A line of blood rolled down his head. Some had gotten into his eye, blinding him. He closed his eyes tight, trying to subdue the pain as he placed his hand to his head.

Aqua came behind him to help support him. "Vanitas." She tried to check on him but there was no time. Vanitas opened his eye and stood up, despite his vision being off. He stepped back as his world started to get dizzy. He was about to fall, but Aqua caught him. "We have to get you to a hospital."

Vanitas shook his head a little. "No…" His hand grabbed the side of his head. The blood was still fresh. "I can't..." he whispered.. Aqua wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They had to get out of there before the guys decided they wanted to fight them again.

It was a struggle, but they managed to make it to Aqua's home. Vanitas continued to stumble along the way as his head hung down. "I shouldn't have told you..." he whispered.

Aqua looked at him worried. "Please Vanitas. Let me take you to a hospital," she pleaded. She didn't know how serious his injuries were or if they were life threatening.

"I can't... I can't let anyone know about this…" If he refused to go, she would have to try and take care of him. She wanted to make sure that he didn't get in trouble either.

Inside, she led him upstairs. In the hallway, she leaned him against the wall. "Do you think you can stand there for a few seconds?" Vanitas placed his hand to his head. He would try. Vanitas turned his head and watched as she headed for the linen closet. She grabbed a towel and went to him. She wrapped his arm around her shoulder again and led him to her room. As they reached her bed, Vanitas slipped off her shoulder and fell almost taking her with him. His back landed on the bed as he groaned. Quickly, she placed the towel under his head as he kept his eyes closed. The dizziness was getting to him more. Aqua rushed out and grabbed another towel. In the bathroom, she soaked it with warm water.

On the bed, Vanitas could feel movement and then something wet press against the side of his head. His eyes closed tight as he hissed. Soon he was able to relax. As Aqua cleaned the wound, she noticed that Vanitas had stopped moving. "Vanitas…? Vanitas! You have to stay awake. Please."

Vanitas let out a groan as he kept his eyes closed. "I'm… sorry…"

Aqua leaned over him with concern and sadness in her eyes. "No. It's my fault. You told me to stay out of it and I just wouldn't... I didn't want you to do something that would ruin your life."

"I know…" Vanitas's eyes closed tight as he could feel his head pounding.

Aqua couldn't sit there and stay worried. She still felt that he needed help. "Vanitas. I have to take you somewhere. What if it's something serious?"

Vanitas breathed out. "No hospitals. I'll be fine."

Apart of her couldn't believe that, but for now she would do what she could for him. "Then try to stay with me okay." Carefully she cleaned his wound as she looked worried.

Vanitas turned his head over to find something to keep him focused on. On her dresser, he saw something he thought he would never see again. "I see…you still kept it…"

Aqua became confused and looked over. "What? The bracelet? You still remember it?"

As he thought back, he closed his eyes. "I never see you wear it so I thought you gotten rid of it. Then again, I guess you can't really wear it now. It's too small…"

The memory made her smile a little. "It was given to me by someone, but they never told me their name in the card that came with it. For years, I've been getting things and never knew where they came from." Aqua looked over one more time at the clay bracelet. She still wished she knew who had given her that.

"I messed up this year…" His words made her eyes widened as her hand slowed. Vanitas's eyes were closed below her. "I had the money, but then… I lost it saving your butt… That's why you didn't get anything..."

Aqua stopped as his admission stunned her. "You…? Were you the one sending me those gifts on my birthday with no name…?" Vanitas didn't respond. Lightly she shook him. "Vanitas? Answer me!"

"I would never… forgive myself if anything had happened to you…" Aqua calmed down, relieved that he was still responsive. "If I…If I didn't get there in time…" Vanitas's voice started to fade.

Aqua couldn't sit around anymore. She placed her hand on his face. "Vanitas. Vanitas! Stay with me!" He was losing consciousness fast. His vision blurred and his mind was out of it. Aqua stood up from her bed and pulled out her cellphone. Despite what he said, she was going to need outside help. She dialed a number on her phone.

Across the way, Ventus heard his phone ring. "Hello?"

Aqua was so relieved that he picked up. "Ven! I need your help! Is your mom home?"

Ventus looked confused. "No? Why?"

"If she asks about Vanitas, make up some kind of excuse."

Instantly, Ventus became concerned. "What happened?"

"He got seriously hurt tonight and I'm going to go find some help. I don't want him to get in trouble with your mom so please cover for him?"

Ventus was curious as to what happened, but for now he would help her. "All right."

Aqua smiled, relieved. "Thank you so much Ven." Ventus smiled at hearing her voice.

Aqua hung up the phone and turned her attention back to Vanitas. She pulled Vanitas up with her. "What-?"

She straightened him up on her shoulder. "I know you said no hospitals, but you can't stay like this. You're seriously injured and it will only get worse. I'll try to find something nearby." Vanitas sighed out in pain as they walked. He was in no condition to argue. Aqua looked up where the nearest place was. Afterwards, she helped him walked to the nearest clinic. Once they got there, she stopped by the nurse's station. "I need help! He's suffered a seriously head injury."

Worried, the nurses came around and helped Vanitas to a room. Aqua stood near the bed as he sat up with his eyes closed. Worried, her fingers brushed against his bangs. His face seemed more relaxed than before. Soon after, the doctor walked in and began to check on him. Aqua sat nearby as she watched concerned. "Thank you for seeing him on such short notice."

The man smiled toward her. "It's not a problem, but it would have been better for you to head to a hospital."

Aqua looked down concerned. "It wasn't an option for us, but we have more than enough we could pay."

The doctor smiled to assure her. "Really. It's all right."

Vanitas closed his eyes in pain as the doctor checked on him. Aqua watched concerned. She reached out and held his hand to help him through his pain. After some time examining him, the doctor wrapped his head in bandages and walked out for a few minutes. Aqua looked at him concerned. "How are you feeling?"

Vanitas turned his head toward her as he let out a smirk. "Just great…"

Aqua let out a smile. "Nice to see you still have your sense of humor." His hand squeezed her as she squeezed back. Being there had put both of their minds at ease. Vanitas breathed out as he closed his eyes. "Remember. You can't fall asleep."

"I know…" he groaned.

When the doctor walked back in, he smiled, seeing the concerned look Aqua had on her face for Vanitas. Her fingertips were brushing lightly through his bangs. "Is he still awake?"

Vanitas moaned as he moved his body a little. Aqua looked over at the doctor. "Barely."

The doctor smiled at her. "He's lucky to have someone watching over him. Tell me. Are you his sister?"

Aqua shook her head and looked over at Vanitas. "No."

"Any blood relation?" he asked curious. Aqua shook her head. The doctor let out a smile. "Ah! I thought so since I didn't see any resemblance. Then you must be his girlfriend."

A little nervous, her eyes traveled back and forth between Vanitas and the doctor. "Oh. I um…? I'm not-. I'm just a friend of his."

The doctor laughed a little. He still noticed that she was holding onto his hand but decided not to point it out. "Sorry! My mistake. Well some good news. He is allowed to leave tonight, but you'll probably need to contact someone."

Aqua looked surprised. "Why?"

"He'll need to stay awake for a while and I doubt, at this point, he'll be able to do it on his own. You see. The hit to the head wasn't severe, but there is a concussion. The side of his head is a bit swollen so he needs to keep it under ice for a while. Once the swelling goes down, he should be okay to sleep then. I'm just afraid if he does now, things will be much worse for him. I can tell he's still kind of out of it from when I asked some questions earlier."

Both the doctor's and Aqua's eyes traveled over to Vanitas who still had his eyes closed. Sometimes he closed them tight when he felt a lot of pain in his head. Aqua looked up at the doctor. "Did he suffer anything serious with that blow to the head?"

"If you mean like any skull fractures or brain damage, as far as I can tell no, but I still recommend that he gets a full examination just to be safe. He was lucky. This could have been a lot worse." Aqua breathed out in relief. It sounded like Vanitas would be okay for the most part. "So do you have any idea who can watch over him tonight?"

"I will." The doctor was a little surprised by how quickly she answered. Aqua looked toward the ground. She felt as if she owed Vanitas that much.

"Hmm… Make sure to call back here if you need anything. I'll give him something to help before you leave."

Aqua smiled a little as she nodded. "Thank you so much."

The doctor smiled. Aqua helped Vanitas stand up off of the table and began walking. At the nurse's station, Aqua paid in cash with Vanitas's money so that way there would be no chance of a bill coming to their house or any other way of someone finding out what happened tonight. Vanitas stood against the wall as he waited. Afterwards, Aqua grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the exit.


	6. The Other Side: Watch Over Me

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* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 5: Watch Over Me:_

During their walk, Aqua watched Vanitas carefully as he walked beside her. He seemed a little better since leaving the doctor's. She just hoped that he could make it back home okay. When they reached her house, she saw the lights were off, but her parents' car was back in the driveway. Now she would have to be extra careful especially not to wake them. She couldn't leave Vanitas alone tonight. As quietly as she could, she unlocked the door to her house. Vanitas stepped in and she closed the door behind them. In the dark, they grabbed each other's hand. Aqua led the way upstairs to her room. Inside, she saw the towel she had used to clean Vanitas's blood. It was out in the open for her parents to spot. She just hoped that her parents didn't walk in to check on her and see it on the bed. Since they didn't call, she assumed that they came in without checking her room.

Vanitas sat down on the edge of her bed as he pressed his hand to his head. It was still throbbing in pain, but not as bad as it first was. Aqua traveled down to the kitchen and placed ice inside of an enclosed bag. Afterwards, she went back up to her room to see Vanitas lying down on her bed. Concerned, she closed the door and called out to him. He sighed and struggled to sit back up. Then he stood up. "What are you doing?"

Vanitas pressed his hand to his head. "Going home. What do you think?"

Aqua stood in front of the door as she frowned. "You're not going." She helped him lie down on the bed. Afterwards she went over to her desk and turned on her lamp. She sat down behind him, letting his head rest in her lap. Aqua pressed the cold bag of ice to his head which made him flinch and his body shiver. Vanitas clutched his teeth together as his body shook a little. "Cold…!" he hissed.

"Shh…" She didn't want to risk her parents hearing him. A little of the bag touched her leg and began to drip water, but it didn't bother her as much. She was more concerned about him.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. When she looked down, she could still see his face with his eyes closed. "I thought you were supposed to be keeping me awake."

Aqua adjusted the bag in her hand against his head. "I know. I was just thinking..."

Vanitas opened his eyes curious. "About what?"

Memories of what happened earlier still worried her and how they could've been worse. "About tonight. What happened…"

His expression turned serious. It still put him on edge. "Were you scared?"

She breathed out as she tried to relax. "Yes. From the moment they had threatened me and made me walk into the alley to when those guys..."

Vanitas reached up with his hand. He wasn't sure where he was reaching, but he felt the side of her waist and traveled up to the side of her chest. Anger began to build in his chest as he thought back. "I lost it when I first saw you there on the ground. If that guy would've touched you the wrong way-."

Aqua pulled his hand off of her as she smiled. "You mean the way you are now." Vanitas placed his hand down, silently embarrassed. A small laugh slipped out of her lips. "It's okay." Her fingers brushed through his bangs. "I don't want you to ever kill anyone especially for me."

He tilted his head toward her as he arched his eyebrow. "Who said I was doing it for you?"

Aqua arched her eyebrow back. "Who else would you do it for?" Vanitas sighed. There was no getting out of that one. Aqua laughed a little. "Thank you… for looking out for me. For protecting me…"

Vanitas looked upset. "It's your fault in the first place! I told you to stay out of it but you wouldn't listen! You're so stubborn!"

Aqua frowned. "Keep your voice down! So if I am? I like to see it as I don't give up."

Vanitas crossed his arms as he looked away. "I see it as annoying..."

Aqua pressed the ice further onto his face, making Vanitas yelled out, forgetting where he was. "You're just as stubborn." Afterwards, both of them calmed down. Her expression changed back to concern. "Will you leave them now?"

Vanitas turned on his side. His face felt warmer in her lap. "Just let it go..."

Aqua breathed out. Was there any getting through to him? Then she looked down as he shifted against her. On his shirt, she noticed there was still a bit of blood, she assumed was his own. Either way, it made her feel uneasy. "You can get more comfortable if you want. We're going to be here for a while." Her fingers grabbed onto the collar of his shirt. "I could wash this for you."

Vanitas sighed as he sat up. "Fine…" Tired, he unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off of his shoulder.

Nervously she looked down as a little heat came to her cheeks. She wasn't sure why she did. Maybe it was because this was the first time she had a guy spend the night. Still Vanitas had looked different. He was definitely more muscular than she noticed before. "I meant I could wash it for you tomorrow."

He looked back as he placed his shirt aside. He noticed that she was looking away from him. "You're the one who told me to get comfortable."

She gave a quick glance. Along his back, she noticed little scars throughout. It made her concerned. Uneasy, her fingers reached out and traced along them. Vanitas grabbed her fingers and pulled them away. The last thing he wanted to hear was more questions. He lied down on her legs again with his head against her lap. His face snuggled more into her stomach. Nervousness began to build in her stomach by how close he was. It was unusual for her to feel that way, but then again, she hadn't had anyone sleep on her lap before. Once he settled, Aqua relaxed a little, but frowned. "Don't go to sleep on me." She placed the bag of ice on the part his head that was swollen.

"Whatever..." he muttered.

Aqua shook her head. "No whatever! This is serious. The doctor said if you don't stay awake, it would be dangerous. You could die."

Vanitas opened one eye and stared forward. He wondered if anyone would care if he had. Then, he closed his eye as he breathed out. "Why do you care so much? You've been in my business for a while now."

Aqua thought about his question, the past, and everything that happened until now. Apart of her was still trying to figure out why she felt the need to save him, but she knew one reason for sure. "Because you're my friend."

He turned on his back to face her. Their eyes met. Vanitas thought about it. He was surprised that she had considered him a friend, but he was glad that she at least considered him that. "If anything would have happened to you tonight, I don't know what I would have done." Her arms wrapped around him as she leaned forward and closed her eyes. Vanitas's eyes widened in surprised. His face became covered in red. He wasn't sure if she realized how close she was to him. During the embrace he was at a loss for words. Apart of his face was covered by her chest. He couldn't remember the last time he had been hugged by her. Then he thought about what she had just said. It sounded as if she had really cared for him.

Aqua sat up straight. "Vanitas. I was wondering if I could ask about earlier. How did you know where to find me?"

His eyes traveled toward the side. "I was called in. Xehanort gave me a warning that something was about to happen so I ran. I tried to call, but you didn't answer your phone. Then I saw Xigbar and Lexaeus in the alley near where you were. I went to the nearest building…" He lifted his eyes toward her. "That's when I found you."

"I'm glad," she whispered. Then her eyes traveled over toward her desk where she noticed her bracelet again. "You were talking about the bracelet that was on my desk as if you were the one who gave it to me."

Vanitas wondered when he had given her that idea. "What are you talking about?"

"The bracelet. The one made out of clay. You were glad that I kept it because you never seen me wear it."

Vanitas sighed. Now he didn't know whether to tell her the truth because she would ask him why. Even if he did, he felt that nothing would come out of it. His face tensed. "I don't know what you're talking about..."

Aqua stared at him. Something inside of her felt that she was right and wanted to keep pushing him, but for now she would let it go. Things soon became quiet between them. Vanitas dozed on and off as Aqua began to do the same. Staying up all night wasn't getting any easier. She snapped out of her sleep once she felt the bag of ice slipping from her hand. She checked on Vanitas to see he was sleeping. She shook his shoulder. "Vanitas."

Vanitas groaned as he closed his eyes tight. It became a nuisance having to stay awake. "What…?"

Aqua regained her composure, determined to keep both of them awake. "Stay awake."

Tired, he let out a smirk. "It's your job to keep me awake isn't it?"

She frowned a little. "You could at least try."

"Well you could at least give me something to do that would keep me awake."

"Like what?" she asked curiously.

An idea popped into his mind. "We could play a little game."

"What?" He turned on his back. Slowly he began to raise her shirt over her stomach. Instantly, she became nervous as she blushed. She couldn't believe what he was thinking. She pushed his hands away as she became upset and straightened her shirt. "What is wrong with you? Pervert… If you didn't have a concussion right now, I'd hit you."

Her reaction made Vanitas snicker silently. "Wow! You thought I was trying to go for your chest that fast."

Aqua held onto her shirt as she looked upset. "Oh really? What were you up to then?"

"Finding a way to get you to shut up more often. I was seeing if you were ticklish." She wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. He rolled his eyes. "Now I see what you really think of me."

Her eyes went toward the side, frowning. "I doubt that's what you were up to..." she muttered.

Confident, another idea came to mind. "Well if you want to go down that road, I can think of a new game. If you think I'm that way, then we'll have a contest to see if I can touch them before you stop me."

At first, she was stunned by his proposal but then became upset. She crossed her arms over her chest. "That's a stupid idea."

He let out a laugh because his teasing was getting to her. He lifted his hand up and flicked her arm lightly near her chest to make her more upset. "You brought it up."

"I did not. How was I supposed to know? You've been picking at me about it for years," she muttered.

He looked surprised. "About your chest?" Then he smirked. "I haven't said anything about them for a while now. Besides, all I said they were big then and they're bigger now."

Uncomfortable, she used his arms to cover herself more. "Will you stop looking?"

"Well I can't help it if I can't see your face passed them. The view is nice from here."

Aqua turned her head away as she clutched her chest tighter. Her face filled with red. "Just go to sleep," she muttered.

Vanitas let out another laugh. It was just too funny picking on her. "What's wrong? Afraid that once I get my hands on them, you would never want them off?"

As he laughed because her reaction, Aqua pushed him aside with her knees, making him roll to the side. She was stunned that he would say that to her. The laughing made his head throb in pain but it was worth it. Upset, Aqua placed the almost full bag of water on his mouth with spilling it. It stopped him from laughing. After he calmed down, she stood up from the bed with the bag. "It's about time to go get you some more ice anyway."

Vanitas sat up on his elbow. "Awe! Don't want to play anymore?"

She looked back as she frowned. "I wasn't playing in the first place."

"It was just a joke. You didn't have to hurt my head over it."

"Keep it down. My parents are asleep."

Vanitas sat up as he gave a dull stare. "Man. You need to lighten up a little. I was only playing around."

She looked over into his eyes and decided to let it go. "Fine."

After the teasing died down, a memory came to mind with something he remembered saying just a few seconds earlier. He looked down, serious which she noticed. "What is it?"

The same scene replayed in his mind. His eyes darkened. Aqua walked over and sat down in front of him. "What are you thinking about?" She sighed. "If you're going to continue to make fun-."

"If that guy would've done that to you, I would've killed him right then and there," his voice sounded cold.

Aqua was surprised that he brought it back up. She smiled to assure him. "I'm fine." She placed her hand on his shoulder which he lifted his eyes to her. "Really. I'm fine because of you." Afterwards, she headed down to the kitchen to replace the water with ice. Her thoughts traveled back to what he had said. He was still being protective over her. The thought worried her if he would carry through with his word. Taking a moment, she leaned her hands against the counter. With everything that happened, where would they go from there? What could she do now? She still felt the need to protect him, but she wasn't sure what she could do? As she relaxed, she thought about how things were between them tonight. He almost seemed like the boy that she used to know. Inside that had made her happy until she thought of how he had changed now. She took relief in knowing that her childhood friend was still somewhere inside of him. She placed more ice in the bag and headed back upstairs.

In her room, she sat down on the bed. She leaned on her pillows as Vanitas laid on his front. His body was resting between her legs. His head rested on her stomach. She held the bag of ice against his head, tired. He fell asleep and soon she had as well. Later that night, Vanitas woke up to see Aqua asleep, but the ice pack was still pressed against his head. He checked to see if some of the swelling had gone down and felt some of it had. He relaxed and pressed the ice bag against his head. His eyes traveled up to the sleeping figure above him. It was the most peaceful she looked the whole night. Vanitas stayed awake as long as he could before he fell asleep again.

The next morning, Aqua slowly opened her eyes. The room was filled with sunlight. It was then she realized that she fell asleep and jumped up a little. Below her, she could still feel Vanitas's weight on her. She sat up as much as she could and checked on Vanitas to see if he was still okay. She placed her fingers on his neck to feel his pulse. "Vanitas?" She could hear him breathing hard, still asleep. "Vanitas?" He let out a moan, not fully coming out his sleep. Aqua moved him over off of her and helped him lay on his back beside her. She sat up on her knees and leaned over him. "Vanitas?"

His eyelids began moving. "What…?" he moaned.

So far, he seemed okay. Aqua looked down at his head and seen that most of the swelling was gone. She breathed out a sigh of relief. Now she had to figure out what to do about him for today. School was going to start soon. She wanted him to sleep. He seemed peaceful that way and didn't want to move him. After thinking about it, she decided that she would risk leaving him there in her room. She just hoped that he wouldn't get caught by her parents if he tried to leave or that her parents wouldn't walk in her room to find him. She leaned over him again. "Vanitas?" His face scrunched up again. "I'm going to leave you here. Just… try to stay hidden." Then, she stood up and changed into her uniform. The lack of sleep was starting to get her from helping all night. She glanced over at Vanitas a few times, but he saw that he was still asleep. She finished getting ready for school. She peeked back at him one more time, worried about leaving him alone, but left afterwards.

Later that morning, Vanitas opened his eyes. He noticed the sun shining on his face. He looked around and noticed that Aqua was gone. Then he noticed the time. It was already too late to go to school. He wasn't sure about going home yet. Soon he closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

Later that afternoon, Aqua rushed back home to check on Vanitas. When she went up to her room, her eyes widened. Her bed was empty. She wondered where Vanitas could have gone. Afterwards, she decided to check and see if he had gone home. She headed over to his house and knocked on the door a few times but no one answered. Through the door, she could hear voices inside. Someone had to be there. She placed her hand on the doorknob. Maybe she would get lucky and it would be unlocked. When she turned the knob, she pushed the door open, a little surprised. She stood for a little before she decided to go in.

Inside, Vanitas was standing in the kitchen with a serious look on his face as his mother was in front of him angry and yelling toward him. Nearby, Ventus noticed Aqua step in quietly and walk over to him, worried. "Sorry Aqua. I told mom that Vanitas was in his room last night, but then she saw the bandages on his head and started asking questions. She threatening to kick him out if he doesn't tell her the truth," he whispered lowly. Aqua looked concerned. She had to make sure he didn't get in trouble. She knew that he was on a thin line with his mother as it was.

His mother looked concerned. "Tell me the truth! What happened to you?!"

Vanitas frowned. "It was just an accident. No big deal. I just hit my head."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Really?! With you, there's always something! You come in this morning without any explanation! You didn't go to school today! Now there's blood on your shirt! What did you do this time?!"

"Excuse me?" Vanitas and his mother turned their heads surprised as they saw Aqua wave at them slightly. They didn't realize she was there until she spoke. Vanitas wondered if things were going to get worse now. "Sorry to interrupt… No one answered the door so I came in." She looked over at Vanitas as she smiled a little. "It's okay Vanitas. She deserves to know the truth." Vanitas's eyes widened. Was she going to tell on him? Aqua bowed toward his mother with regret. "It's my fault. I was the one who gave Vanitas that injury to his head."

His mother became confused. "You? How-?"

Aqua stood up straight as she looked nervous. "You see. I was practicing for my Jujutsu class and I asked Vanitas to be my stand in partner. Unfortunately, I went too far and my foot accidentally hit his head. He fell onto something hard. His head started to bleed so I put the bandages on to make it stop. So as you can see it was me. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt your son."

Vanitas's mother felt uneasy about the story and then turned to Vanitas. Vanitas placed his hand behind his head as he turned away from her with an embarrassed look. "You see now why I didn't want to tell you. The fact that I got beaten up by a girl. Her no less."

Aqua pouted as she crossed her arms. His mother was still very confused by all of this. "If that was the case, then why didn't you just say it in the first place?"

Vanitas turned to her serious. "Because I didn't need you letting Aqua's parents know that she beat up your son. Besides, I didn't think you would believe me anyway."

Her eyes traveled down disappointed especially for doubting him. Then she smiled and looked between Vanitas and Aqua. "I'm sorry for yelling."

"I'm sorry too. I hope you can forgive me." Aqua said, concerned.

Vanitas's mother smiled gently toward her. "Well if Vanitas can forgive you, I'm sure I can. After all, it was just an accident." She then turned to Vanitas as she looked sad. "I'm sorry for not believing you earlier."

Vanitas shrugged. "It's fine."

She smiled before she turned and walked away. Ventus turned to Aqua after she left the room. Something inside of him wouldn't believe Aqua's story. "So what really happened last night?"

Aqua watched as Vanitas stared at her while he headed upstairs. After he left, Aqua turned to Ventus and smiled to show nothing was wrong. "It's nothing for you to worry about Ven. Seriously," she assured him. "I'll talk to you later. Okay?" Before he could say anything, Aqua headed upstairs. Ventus stood, wondering what was really going on between the two of them.

Aqua stopped in front of Vanitas's room where he lying on his back on his bed with his hands behind his head. She pushed the door behind her. Before it could close completely, it moved back leaving a little sliver open without either one of them noticing. "So? How is your head doing?" She sat down on the bed beside him.

Vanitas let out a sigh. "Better but still in pain."

She smiled. He seemed a little better than he was last night. "Just put some more ice on it."

He touched the side of his head with his eyes closed. "Wow! Thanks doctor..."

Outside of his door, Ventus stepped closer to hear what they were saying. He really wanted to know what happened last night. Aqua stood up. "Hey! I'm only trying to help."

Vanitas sat up from the bed as he smirked. "You did. I'm surprised. My mom actually brought that story you made up. You're a bad liar, but I'm sure she believed you because everyone sees you as the good girl that can't lie." Outside, Ventus was a little surprised, but he knew that they didn't tell her the truth. Vanitas smirk increased. "I guess I'm starting to rub off on you."

Aqua looked toward the side. "Are not," she muttered. Vanitas stood up and placed his fingers under her chin to turn her head. Her blue eyes met with his golden one. A faint smile curved at her lips. "Thank you."

Uneasy he stared at her. "I guess…I should…be thanking you too. I probably would've been dead without you if you didn't drag me to that hospital."

Ventus blinked surprised. While he didn't have all of the details, at least he understood why Aqua called him before. Aqua stared down, concerned. "You know that hit was meant for me. I should've been the one with that injury."

Vanitas flicked her in the forehead which made her close her eyes and her body flinch. "Idiot! I took it so be grateful."

Aqua smiled despite letting her worry get to her. "Well…I'm just glad that… you're still alive."

Vanitas looked serious. "We said all we needed to last night. Now it's just repeating. Let's just say we're even. I saved you. You saved me. Now I just hoped you learned your lesson to stay out of my business."

For now, Aqua thought she would stay out of things as long as he stayed out of trouble. Eventually they realized that the room became silent. Aqua placed her hands in front of her uneasy as Vanitas kept staring into her eyes. Feeling the need to convince him one more time to stay away from the people he worked for, she raised her hand, hesitant. A sound slipped from her lips, but then she stopped herself. Her eyes lowered toward the ground as her hand slowly started to lower. What more could she say? Her worries started to fill her mind again.

Then, he reached over and grabbed her hand. Surprised, she watched his hand hold onto hers. His expression didn't change. He put his other hand around her waist. Stepping forward, she placed her hands against Vanitas's chest. Aqua stared at her hands, not sure what to think or where this was going. He pulled her in closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. She reached her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. It felt weird between the two of them at first, but slowly, they had gotten used to the embrace. She placed her head on his shoulder as she stared forward concerned. Her arms wrapped around him tighter.

He stared forward until he closed his eyes, burying part of his face into her shoulder. His body relaxed against her. Thinking of her last words caused his chest to fill with a feeling he was unsure of. Time after time, the voices inside of his head of him and the others he surrounded himself with, had told him that no one would care if he had disappeared, but hearing her say that had made the words inside of his mind disappear.

Things had gotten too quiet for Ventus. He moved over and looked through the crack in the doorway to see what was happening. Once he saw the two embrace, his eyes widened surprised. He didn't realize the two were that close. His surprise soon turned to concern. His thoughts went over what Aqua had asked him the other day. What if Aqua had feelings for someone else? Why else would she lie for Vanitas? It wasn't like her.

Vanitas opened his eyes and traveled upwards toward the door. Then his eyes widened. He spotted Ventus through the crack of the door, staring down with a sad look on his face. Ventus turned around and walked away. Vanitas's eyes traveled down. Seeing him had brought him back to reality. He hugged the girl he cared about, but he knew that his brother cared about also. Either way, it reminded him that he wanted something he couldn't have. He separated Aqua from his self which she made her somewhat confused. He frowned toward her, closing himself off from her again. "You should go."

Aqua took notice of his changed demeanor and wondered why. Instead of asking questions, she nodded uneasy. "All right…" She glanced at him one more time before she turned from him and left. Afterwards, Vanitas lied back with his hands behind his head as he sighed. Now where would things would go from there?

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 _Thanks for reading!_


	7. The Other Side: Confession Time

_Thanks for sending in reviews and adding this to your favorites and alerts! To answer before, it's turning more into a love square as hinted in the prologue. Hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 6: Confession Time:_

The past few days had been quiet. Things had almost seemed back to normal. During some free time in class, Aqua thought about everything that happened as she leaned her head on her hand. Lately she had been trapped in her thoughts, constantly zoning out. That night hadn't come back to haunt them. As far as she knew, Vanitas hadn't gone back and worked for the same men again. She saw him at school and whenever he went home, but they hadn't spoken to each other since. It seems like they had gone back to just eye contact, but this time it felt different. No longer did they know where they stood with each other. Mainly they reflected over memories of the past few days alone.

"Hello?! Earth to Aqua!" Suddenly, Aqua felt a nudge. When she looked over, she saw Rikku standing in front of her with her hands on her hips. Next to her was Yuna who seemed a little concerned sitting beside her. Across from them, Paine looked serious. Rikku breathed out, frustrated, seeing that her attempt to scare Aqua while she was out of it didn't work. "I've been calling you forever! What are you thinking about so much?"

"You've been acting strange lately. Are you all right?" Yuna asked.

Aqua's expression didn't change much. Apart of her was still lost in thought. "Oh?" Her eyes traveled toward her desk, beginning to zone out again.

Rikku grabbed onto the edges of her desk sighing again. "I can't take it anymore! What's got your mind all wrapped up?"

Yuna still looked concerned. "If it's something that's bothering you, I'm sure that you can talk to us about it."

"Just leave it alone. If she doesn't want to talk about it who cares?" Paine said.

Aqua looked over at them. Maybe Yuna and Rikku had a point in helping her figure out her problem. "All right." All three looked surprised that it was easy to get her to open up. Aqua turned toward them. It was a little nervous saying it out loud, but she tried to hide it. "So? I have this friend-."

Rikku crossed her arms, grinning. She wasn't going to fall for that. "Hmm-hmm. The friend being you. Go on."

"It's not me!" Aqua's eyes widened, trying to convince them.

Rikku was not impressed but winked anyway. "Right… Anyway!"

Aqua sighed. It was worth a try. "Well. My "friend" has a problem that she can't figure out. It's about… this guy."

Instantly, a huge grin came on Rikku's face. "It's a boy!" Aqua wished she didn't shout that out loud especially when the particular boy she was talking about was in the same room. "Finally. We can get Aqua to talk about boys especially one that she's interested in!"

Aqua glanced toward the back of the room. Her blue eyes met with a pair of golden ones that noticed. Vanitas gave her a confused stare as to why she looked over. It didn't seem like he heard what they were talking about. Aqua turned her attention back to the three girls. "It's not for me and I don't know if they're interested yet."

Yuna looked surprised. "Yet?"

Aqua blinked surprised. She didn't realize that she said the word 'yet'. Rikku leaned on the desk as she smirked. "You either are or you aren't. Which one is it?"

Aqua looked down thinking. "Well they… Well…She doesn't know what to think about this person and she's not sure what he thinks about her."

"What do you mean? Has he shown any signs or anything?" Yuna asked curious.

"Oh he's totally interested!" Rikku pointed out.

Aqua looked serious. "You didn't let me tell you if he showed signs or not." She looked down at her hand, nervous about talking about it. "Well… He's…" She took a few seconds before she spoke. "Well... he's helped her. Saved her even. He's shown that he can be protective of her. If she fights hard enough, he'll let her in. She's the only one that knows his secrets."

Interested, Rikku and Yuna leaned in toward her. "What kind of secrets?"

Aqua's eyes lowered. "It's better not to tell. Anyway. There were some gifts that didn't have any name on them and she's starting to think that maybe he's the one that has been giving them to her."

Rikku nodded a few times. "Hm-Hm! Hm-Hm! Yup! Definitely! He's in love with her!"

Aqua's eyes widened at her conclusion. She was almost at a loss for words. "What? That can't be right." Her eyes traveled over to the back of the room where Vanitas was sitting. He was writing alone at his desk. "I mean. They don't hang out as often."

Rikku shrugged. "So? If he's willing to risk his life for her like some kind of knight in shining armor, then there has to be something there."

Aqua's stared down uneasy. "Maybe he was protecting her out of guilt..."

Rikku shook her head. "If he didn't think about it when he did it and just did it, then there's something there…Unless he's some sort of Good Samaritan. You still have to ask would he do it for anyone else?"

Yuna let out a smile. "I agree with Rikku. Maybe he does care about her."

Paine nodded as she looked serious. "Agreed."

Aqua turned her head back once more. Vanitas caught her staring at him again. More confusion was written on his face as he wondered why she kept staring at him. Soon he went back to writing. He couldn't worry about what she wanted this time. Rikku leaned against her desk as she smiled. "Can we drop the whole 'friend' thing? Are you trying to see if you like this guy likes you or not or do you like him?"

Aqua's eyes moved along her desk wondering if maybe that was what she wanted to ask. "Maybe… I'm not sure what he thinks." Wondering, she glanced toward the back of the room.

Rikku let out a grin and pointed toward the door. "Why are you looking over there when Terra's over there?"

Quickly Aqua turned her head surprised. "What?" She glanced at Rikku before she looked over at Terra who was standing in the doorway, talking with some other boys. He lifted his eyes and met with her eyes across the room. He waved toward her which she smiled and waved back.

Rikku closed her eyes happy. "I knew that he liked you, but I never knew he was that strong."

Yuna leaned in, interested. "So tell us how he rescued you."

Aqua looked surprised. "What?" She didn't want them to say anything to Terra because it would just make things more awkward between them.

Rikku pouted as she crossed her arms. "Fine… Don't tell us now but you better soon."

Aqua held up her hands. "Wait! I'm not even sure he feels that way. How am I supposed to tell?"

Rikku snapped her fingers. "Easy! Find some way to get him to confess! Something he can't get out of!" Rikku turned her head back and waved at Terra. Aqua looked over to see Terra smiling at her. Nervously, she smiled back. From the back of the room, Vanitas saw what happened between them. He felt a little uneasy but went back to focusing on his work.

After class was over, Vanitas walked out into the hall when Aqua caught up with him. "Vanitas!" Confused, he turned around as she stopped in front of him. She let out a smile toward him. "Hi!" The confusion on his face only grew. She was nervous about her plan, but there was no turning back now. "Hey! I was wondering what you were doing after school today?"

Vanitas arched his eyebrow, wondering what she was up to now. "I have to stay after to catch up on all the work I missed from that head injury. Why? Don't you usually have somewhere to go after?"

Aqua smiled. She stepped in closer which had made him uneasy. She wanted to make sure no one heard their conversation and get the wrong idea. Soon, Rikku, Yuna, and Paine stepped out of class and stopped surprised, seeing the two together. "Not today. My parents won't be home so I was wondering if you wouldn't mind stopping by my house."

Now he really wanted to know what she was up to. His eyes searched hers for some kind of answer. "Why…?" He was almost afraid to ask.

Aqua tilted her head to the side as she placed her hands behind her back. "I just need to talk to you that's all."

He still felt uneasy but decided to go along with her. "Fine." He started walking away. He looked back at her one more time, trying to figure out what she was up to but then left.

Aqua turned around to see the shocked faces of her friends. "What…were you just doing with him?" Rikku had to ask.

Aqua laughed nervously. She scratched the side of her cheek. "Um? Well…" She didn't know how to get herself out of this one.

"You invited him to your house alone?" Paine asked.

"Well…it's just to return something that's all... See ya!" Aqua walked off before they could ask any more questions.

Later that afternoon, Vanitas headed to Aqua's house. Aqua noticed him coming toward the house from the upstairs window. She ran downstairs to meet him. Now would be the point of no return. She would prepare herself to see if her friends were right. As Vanitas knocked on the door, Aqua opened it. It surprised him on how quickly she did. A little nervous, she smiled. "Hi! Come on in." On edge, he came in and she closed the door behind him. "We're heading up to my room."

This day was getting more bizarre to Vanitas. What would she want with him in her room? His thoughts started to travel to the most perverted of places. Would he be ready for that? He shook his head. That couldn't have been it. Aqua led the way to her room. In the doorway Vanitas stopped, confused. Aqua walked over to her dresser. Her head lowered as she picked up the bracelet off of her dresser. Vanitas couldn't see what she was doing. Uneasy and frustrated, he tried to guess what she called him in for. "All right. Listen. I didn't take any more jobs since that night."

Aqua turned her head back to him and smiled. She held onto the clay bracelet. "Hm? That's good." Vanitas was still a little confused as to why he was there still. That didn't seem to be the reason she called him over. Aqua stared down at the bracelet. "Vanitas. I called you over here for a reason. I want you to be honest with me."

Vanitas shrugged. "What now?!" he raised his voice.

Aqua pressed her lips together. She tossed the bracelet on the bed along with the other stuff she had gotten over the years from the person who didn't leave a name. "I want you to come and look at this." He stepped in closer and looked over all of the stuff on her bed. Once he recognized everything, his eyes widened. He finally realized what he had called him there for. It was a trap.

"Vanitas. I've been thinking about our conversation the other night. That night when I was cleaning the blood from your head wound… I don't know if you remember it or not because the doctor said you were pretty out of it." Then, she turned to him. As much as he tried to hide his unease, she could still see a little of it on his face. She held the clay bracelet in his hand. She looked at it for a few seconds before she looked at Vanitas. "You turned and you looked at this. You said to me that you were glad to see that I still had it." A gentle smile appeared on her lips as she stared down. "It became important to me because it still reminded me of the necklace my mother gave me. I wished the person who gave this to me would tell me himself so I could thank him."

Vanitas was at a loss for words. Mostly, he was trying to remember when he said all of this. She looked toward the bed where she had placed her other gifts. "Every year, as far as I can remember, I've gotten a gift on my birthday, but these were different. Still no address, no name, no clue, but they all came with a message." She sat down on the bed. There was still a smile on her face as she thought back. "What they wrote really meant a lot to me. That's why every year I look forward to hearing from him."

Silently he breathed in. Vanitas's hand tensed as they were in his pockets. While it had made him happy on the inside what she thought about his gestures, he knew it would only be a matter of time until she would ask. Soon her smile disappeared. "But…the last few years, I didn't hear anything from him and…it made me sad." She shook her head. "I know it's selfish to wish but…I really did want to hear from him."

Vanitas's eyes drifted off to the side. "So? Who cares?" Anger spread across his face. "What does this have to do with me?! Did you just bring me over here so you could brag about some guy fawning over you?!" He turned away from her, getting ready to leave. His eyes refused to look into hers. "I didn't get you any of this so don't waste my time!"

Aqua looked concerned as she stood up. "Wait!"

Vanitas glared back toward her. "Why don't you ask someone else?!"

Aqua wasn't ready to let this chance escape. "Because there's no one else I know that would do this but you!"

Vanitas turned to her angry. "I told you I wasn't the one who got you that stuff!"

Aqua looked concerned. "Then why would you bring it up the other night?!" Vanitas pressed down on his teeth as he baled his fist. She was starting to get under his skin again. Aqua placed her finger against her chin as her eyes traveled toward the side. "I think I remember you said something about this year. Then when I asked you again, you changed the subject..."

Vanitas shook his head with his eyes closed and turned around. He waved her off. "This is stupid! I'm leaving." Aqua frowned. He wasn't going to get away that easy. As Vanitas headed toward the door, he suddenly heard a loud crash. On edge, he turned around. A mirror was on the floor near her feet broken into many pieces. His eyes traveled up from the floor to her. He wondered what she was up to this time. She gave him a serious look. "What-?"

Aqua looked down. Deep down she believed that he was the person she was looking for. She had to know for sure if he was lying or not. If talking wouldn't work, then she would have to try something different. "I don't know who gave me these things. The meaning behind them is pointless if I don't know who would take the time to send them to me. If it's pointless, then I'll get rid of them." She dropped another one of her gifts onto the ground and twisted her foot against it.

Vanitas watched as she destroyed one thing after another. "What's the point of this? I thought you wanted to find out who this guy was." Aqua grabbed the clay bracelet she had gotten years ago and dropped it on the floor. Surprised, Vanitas stepped forward. "What are you doing?!"

Sadness covered her face. "It was a really nice thing this person did for me. He turned my mother's necklace into something I begin to cherish even more…," She pressed her hand on her chest. "…but what's the point? I don't need it anymore. She's gone… and I'll never be able to thank the person who helped me get a piece of her back..." Aqua looked over at Vanitas. She was willing to take the risk. "The person who did this for me will never know that it really meant something to me. All I wanted to say was thank you."

Vanitas scratched the back of his head. "Don't do anything stupid. You could still find who sent it to you."

Aqua shook her head with her eyes closed. She kept the small smile on her face. "After all these years, I think it's time to give up."

Vanitas knew what she was trying to do and wasn't going to play right into her hands. "You wouldn't."

Aqua placed her foot hovering over the bracelet. "Here's…to the past." Slowly, she pressed her foot down. After a second of hearing a crunch sound, his eyes widened. She really was going through with it. "Stop that!" More he could hear the constant crunching. His eyes lifted to see the pain in her face as her fist pressed against her chest. Vanitas growled through his teeth, his nails pressed into his skin in his fist. She was willing to destroy something important just to get an answer out of him. Aqua looked down. Thoughts began to cross her mind that maybe she was wrong. Maybe she would never know the answer she wanted.

Then, it happened quickly. There was almost no time to register what happened. Her body was pushed back and she fell against her bed. When she opened her eyes, she saw a pile of black, spiked hair and another body over hers. She blinked, stunned. Over her, Vanitas was shaking in anger. She didn't know what he would do next. She was surprised with the reaction that he had. He cursed to himself a few times under his breath. "I can't stand you…"

Aqua was at a lost of words. Inside, his cold, hissing words hurt her. It sounded as if…he had truly hated her. Again, she was pinned down by his hands on her wrists. She could feel them tightening around them. When she glanced over toward the side, she noticed the handmade bracelet on the bed beside her. When did he have enough time to grab that and her? His movements must've quick. She tried to move her legs at his sides, but he had left her completely immobile and vulnerable. Soon she turned her head back to him. "What-?"

"Shut up! Just shut up…" At that moment his mind was clouded. He felt as if he was going on instinct alone.

Further he pressed her arms into her bed which made her wince in pain. "You're…hurting…"

"You constantly push me… That's why I can't stand you..." Aqua looked at him surprised. He lifted his glaring yellow eyes to her curious but concerned ones. "You're like everyone else who thinks that they can manipulate me into doing what you want…"

"I never tried to manipulate you!" she tried to convince him.

"Even so…you think that you can save everyone, but…" His bangs covered over his eyes. "…there's some people you just can't."

Aqua looked determined. "I know if I try hard enough, I can even if it's you! You're not far gone Vanitas! I know deep down you're a good person who's had it hard, but that's not an excuse! There's always another way!" There was an empty glaze over his eyes as she spoke. It didn't seem like her words fazed him. Still she wasn't willing to give up. "You're still that boy that I grew up with. I know you still care otherwise you wouldn't be here now telling me how you feel! As much you want to deny it, I know it was you." She glanced over at the cracked clay bracelet on the bed. "You didn't think I would noticed, but I think I've always known… At least…about this."

"You won't stop until you know?" His voice seemed calmer.

She turned her head back to him, determined. "No."

"That's always been you hasn't it? Fine." He let out a small sigh. "You were right. It was me."

Aqua breathed in. She didn't think she could get an answer from him, but finally he relented. She tried to move her hands but he had refused to move. "Why was that so hard to admit?"

A sarcastic smirk curved across his face. "Even if I said it was me, nothing would change. We'll be how we are now. You going one way while I'm going the other. Even back then, I knew I couldn't compete with someone else who could've given you anything you wanted."

Her expression changed to concern. "It doesn't have to be that way and you're missing the point. I didn't need any of this. It didn't matter how much it was. What matters is the thought you put into it. That's why I couldn't wait to see what you would give me next." His eyes lifted to meet her. There, he could see the sincerity. "What you got me was personal. It was as if you knew me. Regardless…thank you."

Vanitas looked uneasy. "Whatever..." he muttered.

Aqua gazed into his eyes curious. "Why…? Why did you do this for me…?" she whispered.

Vanitas's expression grew serious. "You get people stuff for their birthday."

"But why did you keep it a secret? You're my friend. I would've like to know if it was from you." Vanitas turned his head to the side as he pressed on his teeth. "Why couldn't you hand anything to me face to face?"

He looked upset. "Because you wouldn't have accepted anything from someone like me!"

Aqua's eyes widened upset. "That's not true!"

Vanitas's grip started to loosen from her wrists as he started to get up. "No, you wouldn't have... I'm outta here."

It wouldn't be over yet because she wouldn't let him get away. She grabbed onto his arm which made him stop. "Don't go! Just tell me why you did all this for me? I have to know. You don't have to be afraid!"

Quickly, he turned back to her upset. "I'm not afraid!"

Aqua glared intensely in his eyes. "Yes you are! If you weren't, you would tell me! Tell me why you're afraid to let me in!"

At that moment, his guard was completely down. "If it was any other girl, I could care less!"

"But why me? I'm not-." Before she could finish, he leaned down toward her. Her eyes widened in surprised. Her lips were covered by his. At first her body froze in place, but then she started to struggle underneath him. The grip around her wrists tightened as he pressed his body more onto her. She tried to speak as he kissed her on and off. "W-Wait. No… Wait…" her voice faded into a whisper. Heat became flushed in her cheeks as her eyes lowered to a close. Apart of her tried to fight it, but slowly she had relented as their lips remained connected. He parted her lips more with his own and slipped in his tongue.

"Hm." A muffled moan escaped from her lips. Everything began to move quickly. She could feel his body pressed further into hers as he slightly rocked her hips. Her legs were pinned on both sides of his waist. Quickly she was losing her breath as he continued to kiss her roughly. Her body still wanted to struggle against his but made no effort to. It wasn't the way she imagined her next kiss to be, but, surprisingly, apart of her still like the touch of his lips. Eventually, his hands had let go of her wrists and intertwined his fingers with hers. After taking over her completely, his lips parted from hers a few inches away, slowly pulling at her bottom lips as he did. A smirk curved on his lips. "You taste sweeter than I last remembered," he whispered between them. Her eyes widened a little in surprise as her chest rose up and down, catching her breath. "This is what you wanted to know right? Why you?" Before she could say anything, she felt his lips against hers again. This time, there was no resistance. Inside, it surprised him that she was letting him getting away with his bold move, but he would enjoy it while he could. Minutes into it, his head moved toward the side of her head. "You were always the exception." He placed kisses against her neck and lightly tugged her skin.

Her eyes lowered to a close. "Why…?" she whispered.

Suddenly, she closed her eyes tight as she felt a slight bite on her shoulder. He leaned in toward her ear as he smirked. "Even you can't be this naïve. The answer's right in front of you." His hands ran further along the side of her waist. "How long I waited to do this." His hand slipped underneath her shirt onto her stomach. "The question is will you give yourself to me?" While, at the moment, she was tempted by his offer, she slipped her hand from underneath his grasp and pushed her hand hard against his chest. Heavy breaths escaped from her as she sat up, managing to catch her senses.

As he sighed, he stood up from the bed. "I wouldn't do that for anyone else. I wouldn't just take a hit to the head for anyone else either." Vanitas turned and started heading for the door. "You got what you wanted. There's your answer." He scratched the back of his head. "I shouldn't have gotten myself so worked up if nothing was going to come out of it, but it's my fault. I gave you a chance to resist."

"Why…Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" she asked anxious.

Vanitas glanced back with his hands in his pockets. "Because no one thought I was good enough for you." The reaction on her face changed to surprise. Vanitas turned toward her. "Oh come on! Don't look so surprise. Your parents. You don't have to ask them about it. I know they don't like me. I hear what your friends say about me too. They all say the same thing and I thought you felt the same as they do."

Aqua looked down as she felt bad. She wanted to say something but her lips wouldn't move to say anything. Since she turned quiet, Vanitas turned away and headed out of the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a black box on the bed. She picked it up. "What's this?"

Vanitas glanced back toward her and noticed the box. "Oh! Since you like to ruin surprises, that was supposed to be one. I lost the money to give it to you on your birthday so…" He shrugged. "Whatever. It's yours." He left from her room. Afterwards, her eyes traveled down to the box she held in her hands. She opened it. Right away her expression changed to surprised. Inside was a gold ring. She pulled it out and saw that it was attached to a gold chain. She held it away from her to get a good look. Then she brought it in closer. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed there was something dark on the inside of the ring. When she got a closer look, she saw it was an inscription. _"Always stay the way you are."_ Right after she lifted her head toward her door. It was already too late to stop Vanitas. For a little time, she continued to stare at the necklace before she pressed it against her chest with her eyes closed. The plan had worked. She finally knew how he felt about her. Now all she had to do was figure out how she had felt about him. It had reached the point of no return for them.

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 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	8. The Other Side: My Choice

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! Sorry for the late update! Things have been busy, busy busy! Please enjoy the next chapter!_

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 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 7: My Choice:_

Things were quiet in class as everyone was working. Distracted from her work, Aqua twirled her pencil between her fingers as she leaned her head against her hand. She raised up her other hand and used her fingers to scratch the back of her neck. The tips of her fingers brushed against the chains of her necklace. A small smile came to her face. While no one was looking, she glanced back. At the back of the room, she spotted Vanitas with his head down, working. She smiled and then turned back toward the front. Her hands reached toward her chest and pulled up the necklace she hid in her shirt. Staring at the ring in her fingers, she dwelled on the past once more. What happened the other day surprised her, but soon that surprise disappeared after she remembered what happened between them when they were younger. It was ironic really. He had shown how he felt before, the same way he had now. Back then she wondered about his feelings, but things had changed after he had become more withdrawn and colder. After she thought about Vanitas's feelings, and then thought about her own, it made her happy once she came to a realization.

Rikku, who sat beside her, lifted her eyes up off of her paper and glanced over. Intrigued, her eyes widened as she noticed the shiny object. "Oh wow!" she said out loud without thinking. The sound of her voice made Aqua jump. Everyone in class looked over to see what was going on. Quickly, Aqua stuffed her necklace back into her shirt.

The teacher lifted her head upset toward their direction. "Is there a problem ladies?"

Rikku smiled nervously. "No ma'am!" After things calmed down, Rikku leaned over and moved her desk as quietly as she could, without causing too much attention to herself, and pulled Aqua's necklace out from her shirt. Aqua blinked surprised. "That's really pretty," she whispered. "Did you just get it yesterday or something?"

Aqua smiled. "Something like that." The two grinned toward each other. Vanitas glanced up to see Rikku and Aqua really close face to face. In Rikku's hand, he noticed something gold and shiny that led to Aqua. Confused and surprised, he wondered if she wore the necklace he got for her. Soon other thoughts crossed his mind. Was it because she did feel something for him? Did she not like him at all, but kept the gifts? Before any more questions came to mind, he stopped himself from thinking about it any further. His eyes lowered and focused more on his work.

Rikku grinned. "You have to tell me all about this!"

"Quiet please!" Rikku glanced over nervously to see the teacher frowning toward her. Aqua smiled nervously as well and returned back to her work.

As noon approached, Aqua sat around with Rikku, Paine, and Yuna as their lunch was on their desks. Rikku was holding onto her necklace, still in awe over it. "It's so pretty! Whoever gave this to you has good taste."

Excited, Yuna leaned over. "And the inscription is really sweet!"

Aqua took the necklace from Rikku's hand and placed it in her own. She couldn't help but smile. "We don't have to make a big deal over this."

Yuna smiled gently. "So? You have to tell us-."

"You have a boyfriend now don't you?!" Rikku exclaimed excited and anxious.

Aqua smiled. "Well…not yet…"

As they were talking, Vanitas walked passed them to the front of the room. He handed his work over to the teacher. She gave a quick look through before she lifted her eyes to him. "Okay. This seems to be all the work you missed while you were out." As he stood at her desk, he could overhear the conversation Aqua was having with her friends.

Rikku leaned over, curious. "So who is it from?" She placed her hand on the side of her face and pointed over. "Is it from you-know-who?" she whispered. Aqua looked over and noticed Terra in the doorway.

"No," Aqua answered. As she lowered her eyes, she thought back to yesterday. Right away she let out a smile. "The person who gave it to me is a special friend of mine." Vanitas glanced back toward her. Inside he was curious. He wasn't sure if it had given him a clue as to how Aqua felt about him. Still, he stopped himself from getting his hopes up. He turned around from the teacher's desk and headed back toward Aqua. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him coming toward her. Instantly she flashed him a smile. Confusion became written on his face. It wasn't usual. Their eyes stayed glued to each other until he eventually walked out of sight.

Rikku became more confused as she glanced between Aqua and Vanitas. "Hey Aqua…? Why are you looking at him like that?"

Curious, Aqua looked over at her. "Like what?"

"You just smiled at him," Rikku pointed out.

Aqua shrugged. "So…?"

"Since when are you two friends?" Rikku looked over at Vanitas who stood back at his desk.

Paine crossed her arms. "Seems like something more to me…"

Aqua smiled to assure them. "He's not a bad person. He's nice once you get to know him."

Rikku shook her head. "You shouldn't get involved with him."

A memory of what Vanitas said had dawn on her. Maybe the whole time she had been avoiding what her friends were saying, but Vanitas was right. Then she frowned toward Rikku. "Why do you say that?"

Rikku sighed. "He's trouble if you haven't noticed."

Aqua became upset. "You don't know him."

Rikku looked a little uneasy. "I know that he got in serious trouble and has a record for it. He's just going to end up getting in trouble again."

Aqua couldn't believe how much her friend was putting Vanitas down. Now she was starting to believe that Vanitas was right about what other people thought of him. "Let me guess… You guys think that I'm too good to be around him?"

Paine and Yuna looked at each other before they looked at Aqua. "Well…" Yuna began.

"We think you should stay away from him. You don't need to get involve in his mess," Rikku interrupted.

Aqua's eyes lowered. "So I'll take that as a yes..."

"Hmm…" The girls stared toward the floor uneasy. They didn't want to say yes out loud and they could hear the slight anger in her voice. Aqua stood up from her desk and slammed her hands against it. "I can't believe you guys! You put someone down without even knowing them! You can't just assume that!" As her voice raised at them, Vanitas headed out of the room. Her unusual behavior caught her attention. Along with him, she caught the attention of the rest of the class including Terra and his friends standing nearby. Things turned quiet around her. Aqua took a second to look around. Once she glanced toward the door, her eyes met with that of Vanitas's. Concern began to fill her. What was he thinking now? He gave a serious look before he left the room. _"Vanitas."_ She headed toward the door.

Before she could step out, Terra stepped in front of her. "What's going on?"

Aqua turned and left the room. "I'll explain later." She stepped out into the hallway and searched around. It seemed that Vanitas was gone. She breathed out as she stared toward the ground.

"Wow! I didn't think you would talk back like that." Quickly she turned around to see Vanitas leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. There was a smirk on his face.

"You didn't leave after all." Aqua looked curious. "You were waiting to see if I would come after you."

Vanitas leaned off of the wall and stepped in front of Aqua. His hand reached toward the inside of her shirt and pulled out her necklace. "So? I see you're wearing it now."

She smiled. "Well it isn't something that should be left in a box." She stared at him a little nervous. "I was wondering if we could talk soon. Don't worry. It's not a lecture, but…"

A half smirk, half smile crossed his lips. Maybe this would be a good sign that he would take a chance on. He reached out his other hand and grabbed her free hand. "You don't have to hurt yourself saying it. We'll talk soon."

In return, she let out a smile as her hand squeezed his. "I think that it'll be worth it."

Then Vanitas looked surprised as he felt her hand slip away from his. There was a surprised look on her face. Vanitas took notice as he glanced behind him. Terra stepped out of the classroom and went to Aqua. Vanitas gave a slight frown. At that moment, he wasn't worried. A part of him felt confidence about how Aqua felt about him. He wasn't be ready to lose just yet. "Is everything okay?" Aqua looked over toward Vanitas. He searched her eyes, reading silently what she was thinking. Finally, he breathed out with his eyes closed and walked away with his hands in his pockets. As much as he wanted to know what she was up to, he decided to leave it to her.

Terra watched him curious until he was out of sight. "What was that about?"

Aqua smiled toward him. "Do you mind walking home with me later?"

He smiled a little. "Sure."

After school was over, Aqua and Terra started walking toward where Aqua lived. She turned her head and glanced toward the ocean. A smile appeared on her lips. She could see the gleam of the water. "Want to walk toward the ocean?"

He nodded toward her. "Sure."

They turned off of the path and headed toward the edge of town near the ocean. Both of them stared out toward the vast ocean. The sounds of the waves and the cool, salty breeze felt calming. After a moment, Aqua started thinking about the past. She placed her hand against her hair. "Hey Terra…? What do think about our parents trying to get us together?"

"Hmm…" At first, the subject she brought up surprised him, but then he stared down, thinking.

She placed her arms behind her back as she stretched. "I don't know about your parents, but I know my parents have definitely been trying."

He laughed a little. "Is that why I get phone calls from your mom instead of you?"

Aqua sighed. "I really don't like when mother does that…"

"I guess…I could see us going somewhere." Aqua looked over at him curious. Then she stared forward toward the ocean. She started reflecting on her own feelings. Then Terra smiled over at her. "Come on. I'll finish walking you home." Afterwards they started walking.

She smiled a little toward him. "Will you be coming to practice tonight?"

"I can't make it tonight. I have to travel unfortunately."

She smiled, a little disappointed. "Well… we'll miss you tonight."

Minutes later, both Aqua and Terra stopped in front of Aqua's house. Nearby, inside of his room, Vanitas lied on his bed with his hands behind his head. While things were quiet, he could hear talking and laughing nearby. The voices sounded familiar. He stood up and looked out of the window. Watching the way she smiled and laughed made the uneasy feeling worsen. It made him wonder if Aqua had already made her decision. Soon he turned and walked away from the window.

* * *

Later that night, after practice was over, Aqua sat down next to Ventus as he was put on his shoes. She put on her shoes as well. Uneasy, Ventus kept his eyes to the floor. "Aqua…?"

Curious, Aqua looked over. "Yes?"

A few times, Ventus glanced between her and the floor before he spoke. "…Why did you lie for my brother?"

The question caught her off guard, but then she smiled to assure him. "What? I didn't lie-."

Ventus looked concerned. "I overheard you and him talking... You were covering for him that night."

Aqua let out a small sigh. There was no way she could get out of this one. "He was in trouble. I had to do something to help him."

Ventus looked a little surprised. "But why? He causes trouble a lot."

"You don't understand. I know it's a lot, but believe me, it's not just him. Ven…he saved my life." Ventus looked down uneasy. She placed her hand on top of his head and rubbed the top of his hair. "Believe me. Deep down, he's not a bad person. When it really comes down to it, he really is a caring person."

"The two of you have been spending a lot of time together haven't you?" he asked uneasy.

She glanced toward the side, thinking. "Kind of."

Ventus shook his head slightly. "I don't think you should spend as much time with him. I'm afraid you'll get hurt."

Aqua smiled to assure him. "I'll be fine. You'll see." She stood up and walked away. Ventus stared down toward the floor as he was concerned. He really hoped that she knew what she was doing.

After she returned home, Aqua lied in her bed thinking about everything that happened today. She knew soon that she would have to give an answer, but to who? Terra was a dear friend of hers who she had known half of her life and they had a lot in common. Her friends and family loved and respected him. It seemed like nothing could go wrong with them.

Then there was Vanitas... She had known him for almost all of her life and was her dear friend as well. Even if the last few years hadn't been easy for them, he had been there for her and even saved her when she was in trouble. She felt safe whenever she was around him and that things seemed okay. She didn't feel as if she had to be perfect with him. She felt like herself. There were good times and bad, but she still cared for him and he cared for her. She leaned back against her pillow. It was ironic. She never expected to make a decision like this.

The next day at school, Aqua headed toward her class. Before she walked in, she heard her name called. "Aqua!" Aqua looked over to see Yuna and Rikku run toward her as Paine walked behind. "We're so sorry! We didn't mean to make you upset yesterday!" Rikku cried.

Aqua gave a gentle smile toward him. "It's okay. Really." Rikku and Yuna became relieved. It didn't matter what they had done because, at that moment, nothing could take her away from her mission today. They headed inside. When Aqua looked toward the back of the room, she noticed that Vanitas's seat was empty. It surprised her because he had been coming to school everyday.

Yuna gave her a curious look. "What is it?"

"Sorry…I was looking for someone." Aqua took her seat along with the other girls. She glanced behind her one more time. She wondered if he would be in today. She was prepared to tell him her decision of who she had chosen.

After class was over, Aqua stood near the lockers. As she waited, she reached toward her shirt and pulled out the necklace that hung around her neck. She twisted it within her fingers. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine stepped over with her. "Uh-oh. She has that distant look on her face," Paine pointed out.

"What is it?" Yuna asked.

Aqua snapped out of her thoughts and smiled toward them. "Oh! It's nothing. I'm just waiting on someone."

Rikku pointed toward her hands. "You mean for the person that gave you that necklace. If it wasn't Terra then who was it?"

Aqua looked curious. "Have you guys seen Vanitas today?"

The girls looked surprised. "Vanitas…?" Rikku sounded surprised.

Aqua looked a little anxious. "There's something I have to talk to him about."

As they were talking, a boy much taller in height and bigger in weight headed in their direction. He noticed the girls standing near the lockers. His eyes traveled lower toward their chests, checking in comparison. A smirk crossed his lips. Before he could walk over, he noticed a boy with blonde hair head over toward them first which made him frown. Instantly, Yuna grinned toward him. "Hi!" Tidus greeted the rest of the girls as he stood close to Yuna. They talked for a little before Yuna and Tidus walked away. Rikku and Paine soon followed behind. With no sign of Vanitas, Aqua started following.

"Aqua…" Aqua snapped out of her trance and looked back. Rikku and Paine looked behind them as they noticed she stopped. The taller male walked over with a sly smirk and hovered above her. His hand slicked his hair back. "So…I know you have been waiting long enough." Aqua stared at him with confusion. His eyes traveled from her face to her chest and back to her face. "We should go out sometimes. Just you and me."

Aqua let out an apologetic smile. "That's…very nice of you to ask but… I can't."

The boy let out a frown as his eyebrows furrowed. "I don't think you heard me right. I'm asking you out."

Aqua remained calm. "I'm sorry, but there's someone I-."

The frown deepened on his face. "Oh…! I get it…" He looked down toward the necklace hanging around her neck. "How much?"

She looked upset. "What-?"

"This looks expense." The boy grabbed held her necklace within his fingers and looked at it. He read the inscription inside. "Awe… Some loser gave that to you…?" he said mockingly. "Whoever it is, can't be better than me. What did you have to do to get this?"

Aqua slapped his hand away, moving his hand from her necklace. "Let go!"

He smirked toward her. "Awe! Afraid I'm going to break it?" he mocked her again. "I'm just looking at it. If you were smart at all, you would reconsider. I see that pretty boy you hang out with."

Rikku and Paine stepped over with frowns, upset. Paine glared toward him. "Back off. She's not interested."

"You jerk! Go away!" Rikku yelled at him. She looked over at Aqua. "Come on! Just leave this guy!"

The girls turned around and started walking away. The boy pressed down on his teeth as he growled through his breath. He reached his hand toward Aqua and grabbed onto her shoulder. "Hey! Don't walk away from me!" He turned her around toward him.

Aqua looked upset and knocked his hand away. "Get your hands off me!"

He reached over toward her and grabbed onto her necklace. He pulled it against her neck until the chain broke. Feeling a pain against her skin, she reached up surprised and touched her neck. When she looked at her hand, she saw blood on the tips of her fingers. "Oops…! That must've hurt." He held her necklace out in his hand. "I guess it was some cheap piece of crap after all. If you want this back, then think about my offer again. I'm sure you'll give me the right answer." He turned and walked away.

Aqua placed her hand to her neck in disbelief as she kept her eyes on the boy walking away from her. Rikku and Paine rushed to her side. "Aqua?! Are you okay?!" Rikku asked.

Paine got upset as she noticed blood on her neck. "We should have someone look at that."

Nearby a few students stood in surprise as they watched what happened. Terra walked by curious as he heard people talking among the crowd. Then he noticed Paine and Rikku next to Aqua and the worried looks on their faces. He stepped over toward them. "Hey! What's going on?"

Rikku pointed at the boy. "That big bully! He wouldn't leave Aqua alone! He hurt her and stole her necklace!"

Worried, Terra looked over at Aqua. "Are you okay?!"

Aqua's eyes lowered, still upset over what happened. Then her thoughts traveled to the person who gave her the necklace. She was sure that Vanitas would be upset with her and especially with what happened. She also knew if he found out, he would do something reckless. Rikku placed a hand on her shoulder. "Aqua..." Soon, Aqua's fist baled at her side. Her disappointment turned into anger. She wasn't going to let the boy get away with what he did. Not for hurting her and not for breaking something that someone special gave to her. She would get her necklace back. Rikku, Paine, and Terra watched surprised as she took off. "Aqua!"

The boy walked out onto the school's ground with his hands casually in his pockets, grinning. He thought he made his point back there. He refused to let any girl say no to him and get away with it. Aqua stepped out onto the school ground in the direction she thought he was going. Quickly she searched around. Then she spotted the boy in her sights. She took off running afterwards. "Hey!"

The boy let out a smirk as he looked back. Right away he noticed the anger on her face. "Don't tell me you're upset over some stupid necklace. Let me guess... That's all I needed for you to say yes. Just waved some piece of jewelry in your face? I wonder if it's that easy just to get you into bed."

"You're nothing but a lame, selfish jerk! You couldn't get a girl even if you wanted to so you threaten them." He growled toward her. He stepped toward her and reached for her arm, but she knocked it back. "See! You only try to hurt people when you don't get your way! That's what a bully would do!"

The boy pushed her down to the ground, getting angrier. He baled his hand into a fist and held it up near his face. "I'll show you some real hurt." She watched carefully to block his attack when it came. Suddenly, the boy felt someone tap him on his shoulder. "Huh?" As soon as he looked back surprised, all he saw was a fist heading toward his face. The boy cried out as he fell on the ground and grabbed onto his nose as he closed his eyes tight.

Aqua looked over stunned. Vanitas cursed out loud as he grabbed his hand. He walked around a little as he hissed loudly. The pain was almost as worse as when he hit Lexaeus. Quickly, Aqua got up and went beside him. "Vanitas!" She grabbed onto his hand and saw that his knuckles were red. "Are you all right?"

Vanitas cursed under his breath again. "He had a thick head!"

"What are you doing?! she asked anxiously.

He frowned toward her. He didn't know what was going on, but as soon as he saw her on the ground, his body instantly reacted. "Trying not to get the crap beaten out of you."

Aqua relaxed a little. She was fully prepared to handle herself, but she was glad to see that he was there. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you all day."

"I've been around…" He turned his attention back to the situation at hand. "What did you do this time?!" Aqua glanced down disappointed. Confused, he searched her face for answer, but she remained silent. "What is it?"

Her eyes traveled toward the side. "I was handling it..."

Vanitas began to get impatient. "This isn't one of your little practices. He could've seriously hurt you." Then he noticed red spots on her collar. He stepped in closer and grabbed onto her shirt "What the-?" When he looked underneath, he noticed the blood on her neck. "What is this?" For a brief second, he froze before he looked at her. "Did he hurt you?" She kept her eyes away from his. He placed his fingers under her chin forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Did he hurt you?!" Anger started to seep through his voice.

She placed her hands on top of his. "Yes… but Vanitas-," she tried to explain calmly, but it was too late. Already she could see anger form on his face. That was all he needed to hear. He let her go and turned to the boy on the ground upset. Quickly she grabbed onto his arm before he could walk over. "But Vanitas! I was going to handle it! I wasn't really going to fight him." Curious he looked over to her. He searched her face to see what else she was trying to say. She glanced toward the ground before she looked at him. Her fist went toward her chest. "He tried to make me go out on a date with him, but I refused so he stole the necklace you gave me." Uneasy, she looked down. "He broke it and I-."

The boy moaned as he sat up and smirked. "Oh! You were the one that gave her that thing…? You're trying to get a piece of her too?"

Vanitas bent down to him as he glared into his eyes. "You stay away from her. You got that?" he warned him. "Now give it back."

The boy chuckled a little. "Wow! She must've been that good in bed for you to pay for that."

Vanitas stood up and kicked him in the chest. "Bastard…" The boy couched as he grabbed onto his chest.

Aqua pulled him away and made him turned to her as she looked serious. "Vanitas stop that! I don't want you getting in trouble over this."

"I could care less." He glared down at the boy. "He should stop putting his foot in his mouth before I do and kick his teeth in."

Aqua sighed. "Well I don't want you to. Let's go." She grabbed onto his arm and pulled him away.

He resisted her pull. "No! Not until he gives back what's yours."

The boy got up off of the ground after catching his breath. "You and your little girlfriend done yet?"

He glared toward the boy. "Weak."

"Just like your punch!" the boy shouted back. The boy growled and rushed toward them. Vanitas and Aqua separated before the boy could run into them. Rikku, Paine, and Terra rushed outside to check on Aqua and see what was going on.

The boy aimed a punch toward Vanitas, but Vanitas dodged with ease. "I don't fight weak people."

The boy looked back at him, angry. "What you say?" He rushed toward Vanitas again which Vanitas stood still. It was almost too easy. Then, the boy's eyes widened as he felt himself falling onto the ground. Vanitas looked surprised and seen Aqua standing beside the boy with her foot out. She tripped him up. "No fighting Vanitas."

Vanitas sighed with his eyes closed. "Yes… nagging woman."

"Hey!" Aqua and Vanitas looked over to see the principal heading toward them with an upset look on his face. "You three in my office now!"

Vanitas groaned. "You just had to be here," he spoke low toward Aqua.

She grabbed onto his hand and intertwined her fingers with his as she smiled. Inside, Vanitas was a little surprised by her action, but outside remained calm. "Well I was a part of it too. If you get in trouble, I guess I do too." Vanitas wished she wasn't there at that moment, but it was too late now. The two headed for the principal's office as the boy struggled again to get off the ground.

In the principal's office, the three sat in chairs in front of his desk. The principal pressed his fingertips together as he stared at them. "Now you two boys, I've had in my office before, but not you Aqua. You were always an upstanding student at my school. You know I don't condone fighting on school grounds."

Vanitas leaned forward. "Listen! Aqua had nothing to do with it!"

The boy looked upset. "Of course she did. These two beat me up. This guy punched me." The principal glared over at Vanitas.

"If I may speak?" Everyone in the room turned their attention to Aqua. The principal nodded in approval. Soon, she stood up from her chair. "It's true. You could suspend all of us if you wanted to." The boys stared at her confused and wondered where she was going with this. So far, it looked like she was getting all of them in trouble and giving no one a chance to try and get out of it. "But in truth, there's only one person in this room who should be in trouble."

The boy pressed on his teeth upset. "You're just trying to put all the blame on me!"

Aqua remained calm, breathing in. "You see. It was him who started the events that led to outside. It began out in the hallway where he asked me on a date, but I refused, so he forcefully grabbed my necklace and ripped it from my neck. Afterwards he took it from me."

The boy rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. "She's lying..."

"My first evidence." She moved her collar aside to reveal the small cut on her neck and little bit of blood on her collar.

The principal's eyes widened in surprise. Then glared at the boy. "You hurt another student on school grounds?!"

The boy frowned. "It's just a little cut. It could've been from anything."

Aqua looked serious. "I assure you it's not. You can check his pockets. He still has what belongs to me."

The principal looked at him serious. "Where is it?"

The boy looked toward the side as he frowned. "I don't have it."

"Give it back now! I will not ask you again!" the principal demanded.

The boy rolled his eyes as he sighed and reached into his pocket. Then he placed the necklace on his desk. "Here. Take your cheap piece of crap back."

Aqua looked forward serious. "Afterwards, I ran after him, seeking to get the necklace back, not to fight. Outside, he pushed me on the ground not willing to."

The boy looked appalled. "She shouldn't have run after me in the first place!"

The principal shook his head. "You're already in enough trouble, now quiet."

Aqua shook her head. "I did not touch him with my hands at all."

The principal looked toward the boy. "Is that true?"

Vanitas leaned forward. "Of course it is!"

The principal held his hand up. "I was talking to him."

The boy looked to the side. "It's still her fault…" he muttered.

"Answer the question!" the principal demanded.

The boy looked down. "Yeah but-!"

"No buts!" The principal looked up at Aqua. "Aqua you are free to go. Make sure that you see the nurse before you leave school." Then he turned his attention back to Vanitas and the boy. "As for you two-!"

Aqua held up her hand. "Wait. If I could say something else?"

The principal looked at her calm. "What is it Aqua?"

"Vanitas should not get in trouble either." Vanitas and the boy looked surprised.

The principal looked surprised and confused. "And why not? He claimed that he hit him."

Aqua looked serious. "So it's his word against ours? That seems unfair that you didn't ask."

The principal put his hands down, calmly as he sighed. He was about to say something, but Aqua beat him to it as a part of her plan. "I stopped Vanitas before he could fight him. When he rushed at Vanitas, he did not hit him back. May I ask what you saw when you came outside?"

The principal sighed. "Well… When I came out, I saw him running for Vanitas but then he fell."

The boy leaned forward upset. "That's because she tripped me!"

"It's our word against his. You can ask our fellow classmates what they seen. You can ask the people in my class what they seen, but he tried to start a fight with us and I think it's unfair because Vanitas was there to help me get away from him."

The boy stared forward in shock. "What?" He pointed toward his face. "What about my face?! You can't believe-!"

The principal was frustrated over the whole situation as he rubbed his head. "You two get out of my office. I do not want to see either of you in my office again. If I do, you will get suspended." Aqua nodded. She grabbed her necklace from the desk. Afterwards, Vanitas and Aqua left from the room. "As for you, three days suspension."

The boy's mouth dropped in shock. "What?! That's unfair!"

Outside in the hall, Aqua and Vanitas were walking. He smirked toward her, still impressed. "Wow! I could use you to get me out of situations more often. That was great. I could never get away with that on my own."

Aqua sighed as she smiled in relief. "Well I'm glad it worked out… I was practicing back there. I'm going to college to become a lawyer."

Vanitas was impressed again. "I'm surprised. I thought your parents would've wanted you to be a doctor or something."

Aqua rubbed the side of her head as she looked toward the side. "Well... It's not like I haven't heard it before..."

Vanitas sighed in relief. "I still can't believe you got me out of that. We both know I punched that guy."

Aqua frowned toward him a little. "And kicked him..." Then, she breathed out a sigh of relief. "I just said it was our words against his. We all know you hit him, but maybe we would've "worded" it differently." Vanitas couldn't help but smile. Aqua opened her hand and looked at the necklace. "Hey! I got your back and you got mine. Besides, you shouldn't get in trouble for defending someone you care for." She stopped and turned toward him. "Speaking of which… there's something we still need to talk about."

Curious, he stared at her. He figured it was about her answer. "Yeah…"

"Do you have time?" she asked, curiously.

He nodded as he looked serious. "Sure." They both started heading toward the front door.

Later, they went toward the edge of the town near the water. They both stared out over the vast ocean. "I always see your brother and his friends go out to the island. Do you ever go out there?"

He put his hands in his pockets. "You mean Sora and those other kids he hangs out with…? Not really."

Soon an idea came to mind which made her smile. "Do you want to go? It'll give us a chance to be alone plus I haven't been in a while."

Vanitas shrugged a little. "If you want. I'll just take his boat." She nodded. He found Sora's boat and they both headed out toward the island. After docking, both of them sat on the dock. She took off her shoes and let her toes touch the cold water. He looked over toward her. "So? What now? You finally got an answer."

Her fingers fidgeted in lap. "Yeah. I think so."

He leaned back on his hands. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the alternative, but he had to know if he stood a chance. "Then out with it. Who is it?"

She stared at the clear blue water. "Well…" She sat back on her hands as she stared forward. Her feet continued to brush the water back and forth. She let out a sigh. "When did things become so…complicated…?"

He looked at her before he gazed at the ocean. "We grew up. That's all."

"Hey Vanitas…? Did you ever go swimming out here?" she asked curious.

He bent his knee up and rested his arm on top. "My dorky brothers like to, but me…not so much."

Aqua breathed out a little as she felt more relaxed. "I haven't much either. Sometimes I wish I could just relax out here."

"Why don't you?" he asked.

Her eyes gazed over the water. "I'm busy a lot with school and other stuff."

"Then just do it now."

Aqua shook her head as she grinned. "Mother would kill me."

"So? She'll get over it. You can't be worried about what others will say. Just do what you want for once."

Her eyes went toward the side thinking. He had a point. Sometimes she just wanted to do something she wanted. "You know. You're right!" Then she grinned toward him. "I will if you come in with me."

Vanitas's eyes widened in surprise. "What?! No way!"

She reached up and started loosening each button. "Oh come on! It wouldn't kill you. Have a little fun for once!" She stood up as she finished unbuttoning her shirt. She tossed her shirt aside onto the dock. Then she reached on the side of her skirt and unzipped it. Afterwards she tossed it aside where her shirt was. At first, it felt strange to stand on the dock next to him in just a white bra and underwear, but soon she brushed it aside. When they were younger, he had seen her in swim wear. Why should now be any different now? She glanced back at him as she smiled, but then turned toward the ocean. Slowly she stepped into the water, getting used to the cold. Half of her body became submerged. She took a deep breath in and went underwater. Vanitas breathed out as he relaxed a little. For now, he would let her have her fun. Soon Aqua stood out of the water and slicked her hair back against her neck as she closed her eyes. Just being in the water made her stress melt away. She pressed her back against the water, causing her body to float. All she could hear is the sound of the waves against her ears. If the ocean carried her away, she wouldn't have mind. At that moment nothing else matter.

Vanitas breathed out as he closed his eyes. He began unbuttoning his shirt. Finally, he relented after watching her. Mainly he was anxious to know what her answer would be. He put his clothes aside, leaving on only his boxers and stepped into the water slowly. He cursed under his breath as he felt shivers throughout his body. Slowly, he got used to the cold feeling. Soon he walked over toward her.

As she floated, she felt her arm bumped into him. She opened her eyes surprised. His hands went underneath her back and under her knees. "You still haven't given me an answer."

She smiled. "You decided to come in."

He frowned toward her, not letting her change the subject again. "Stop stalling… If this is a waste of my time, tell me now."

"All right…All right…" Her arms wrapped around his neck. "Don't worry. It's not," her soothing voice assured him. Carefully, he let her down as she still held onto him. Her blue eyes met with his golden ones. "The other day when I asked you about all the gifts and you told me that I was special to you, I didn't give you an answer. So... I've been thinking about how I felt when you said that and I realized…" Her lips curved into a smile. "…I felt happy." Hearing that relaxed him a little, but he was still ready to hear the end. "But I had to know for sure how I felt so yesterday…I…I spoke with Terra."

A frown appeared on him again. "And…?"

Aqua looked toward the water, thinking. "Our parents have been trying to get us together for years. I had to know if there was something there and…we talked about it. We wanted to see if our parents were right…"

Vanitas sighed as he rolled his eyes to the side. He took her hand away from his neck. "You don't have to keep dragging it out. I get. I already know how this is going to turn out." He started heading back toward the dock.

Aqua was surprised by his reaction. It seemed he already had an answer before she was finished. Before he could leave, she grabbed onto his arm. "What-? Wait-!"

He snatched his arm away as he looked upset. "I know what your parents and your friends think of me. You might think you want this now, but just wait. They'll turn you against me." He turned his back to her. "There's nothing else to say."

Anxious, she grabbed onto his arms and stopped him from moving. She leaned her head against her back. "It doesn't matter." Aqua stood upset. "That's another thing. You were right about what my friends thought and I'm sorry about that."

He stared down toward the water. "Then you know why this wouldn't work. If you brought me out here just to say you choose Terra, then just say it."

Aqua lifted her head serious. "Who said that it wouldn't?! Just because my friends and parents don't think you're good enough for me, doesn't mean I do. I have a right to make my own decisions of who I want to be with and besides…" She smiled gently at him. "You can't make the heart choose who it has feelings for." He looked back toward her. "I care about you Vanitas…" He turned more toward her. "With you, I feel like I can be myself. You don't expect me to be some perfect person just like I don't expect you to be." She gave a sincere smile. The tips of her fingers brush his bangs aside. "Do you know the different between you and them?"

"What?" he asked curious.

She gave a gentle smile. "You know me better than they do." She placed her hand against his chest. "We've both seen each other at our best and at our worse. You don't see me as some helpless, naïve, little girl that needs everything handed to her. You just see me…and I see you." She pressed her forehead against his. He breathed out as his eyes lowered to a close. The two parted a few inches. Her eyes met his. "So trust me. Everything is going to work out for us." She smiled more, gently. "It's you that I choose."

He stared into her eyes, searching for a way to believe. It was then he decided he would take a chance. He leaned in and placed his hand against her cheek. "Fine."

She tilted her head as she smiled. "Is that all you have to say? Just 'fine'?"

Vanitas breathed out as he looked toward the side. He wasn't usually very forward about feelings like that, but since she admitted hers, it was only fair. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer. "I care about you too," he whispered.

Soon after, she let out a smile which, in return, made him smile a little more than he usually did in front of anyone. His face leaned in closer toward her. Before his lips could touch hers, he felt her index finger press against his lips. He opened his eyes to see her smiling. "Will you kiss me just like that that sneaky, fourteen-year-old boy that taught me how to kiss?" He let out an amused smile. He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips before he split from her. Aqua opened her eyes surprised. "Hey!"

He smirked toward her as he swam back. "You said like before. That's what happened."

"It was longer than that." She swam closer and caught up with him. Lightly he grabbed onto the sides of her arms once she was close enough. Her hands pressed against his chest as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. The waves of the ocean brushed against them as they stood with their feet on the sand. Slowly their lips moved against each other, him following her lead. His tongue parted her lips brushing against hers. This time, she didn't pull back. Soon she parted from him. "You remembered everything about our first kiss," she joked.

"How could I forget? That was the first time I had to climb out of a window." His response caused her to laugh a little.

When she looked back at him, she saw his smile which in return made her happy. She leaned her head against her shoulder, relaxed. "Sometimes I do wonder why it took so long for this to happen."

His arms wrapped around her waist. "I was sure that you would've said no."

Aqua let out a proud smile. "I guess you were wrong."

"Hmm..." Vanitas looked around. "I guess this place isn't so bad. I guess we could do this again."

As he spoke, a thought came to mind which concerned her. Even though it hadn't happened lately, it was still a problem. "Vanitas…" He looked down at her as she spoke. "Please don't go back to work for that guy again." Inside, he was surprised that she brought it up, but on the outside, Vanitas looked calm. "I don't care about the stuff you give me. Along as it comes from you, I'll be happy."

"I…" He knew that he would eventually have to choose between them, but to him, he knew which one was more important. "I won't…as long as I have you with me."

Aqua smiled as she nodded. "Okay." Then she smiled a little more as another thought came to mind. She sat down on the edge of the dock as her hands grabbed onto the edges. "So…? How long have you liked me…?"

Vanitas frowned a little. "That's what you want to ask?"

She nodded. "Hmm-hmm…"

He sighed and walked over toward her. His eyes traveled away from hers. "I don't know…" He leaned back against the docks with his hands with his back turned. "Since I first met you when I put that mud in your hand."

Aqua shook her head with her eyes closed. She could still remember that day perfectly. "That was really disgusting. I thought you were doing it just to pick on me. How come?"

He crossed his arms against his chest as he looked away from her. "I…thought you were cute when I saw you up close."

Her surprise soon changed into a smile. "Oh really…?" She leaned forward to get a good look on his face. "Awe! You're so cute when your face goes red."

Upset, he pressed on his teeth as he growled. He turned to her as he frowned. "You got your answer!"

"Go on…" she teased slightly.

He turned toward her with a frown. "What? You want to say everything else I did?" Aqua nodded. Vanitas let out a sigh and sat up on the dock behind her. "Well I picked on you since you were six because I liked you. I stole your first kiss from Terra because I wanted your first kiss to be with me and I wanted you to be my first kiss. I didn't know what I was doing then..." he admitted. "I got you all of those gifts because I liked you. I just didn't tell you it was me because I thought you wouldn't like me back."

She leaned back against his shoulder as she closed her eyes. "Well. I guess you were wrong. I liked you for a long time too."

"Since when?" he asked curiously.

She grinned. "I think around the time you kissed me."

He was surprised as he looked back. "That long ago?"

"Yeah," she answered.

Aqua leaned in and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I guess maybe we could've been together longer."

His eyes lowered, thinking back. Maybe things would have been different if he had just admitted his feelings earlier. "Yeah... Maybe..." Then he noticed the necklace he gave her lying on top of her clothes. "I'm glad he didn't break that necklace or I would've had to break his face."

"More than you already had?"

"Hmm…" Vanitas's eyes traveled down. Aqua leaned her head against his shoulder as she kept her arms wrapped around him, relaxed. As silence came between them, Vanitas placed his hand on top of hers. Being there with her was the happiest he ever been. Finally, he had gotten the girl he cared for most.

 _Thanks for reading~_


	9. The Other Side: New Habits, Old Habits

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter! **Warning:** this chapter does get a little lime-y..._

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 8: New Habits, Old Habits:_

The sun was shining brightly as the clouds were rolling slowly in the sky. Aqua headed toward the school along with the rest of the other students. Before she could reach the door, out of nowhere, a hand grabbed onto hers. Surprised, she looked over as she was pulled toward the side of the school. Once who she saw who it was, she let out a smile. Her back was lightly pushed against the wall on the side of the school as lips fully captured hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as her lips moved passionately with his. Soon after, the two separated. Her hands clasped the sides of his face as she grinned with her eyes closed. "Good morning to you too."

A faint smirk came to Vanitas's lips as his arms wrapped around her waist and pressed her closer against his body. "You can't just walk into school without a kiss from me." Vanitas leaned in and kissed her again. Afterwards, he rolled his eyes toward the side. "I probably won't get one until after we get out of here."

Aqua held her fist to her lips as she giggled. "Someone wasn't around to pick me up this morning."

Vanitas sighed with her eyes closed. "I know…" he replied disappointed. He wished he had so he could spend more time with her. He opened his eyes and rubbed his hand from her neck to her cheek. "I'll make it up to you later."

She let out a curious grin. "What did you have in mind?" He leaned in and kissed her for a few more seconds. He loved the way her lips felt even when they were fourteen. Soon, the two separated. They breathed in a little to catch their breath. "So? Are we still meeting at my house later?"

Vanitas smirked. "You mean when your parents aren't home?"

Aqua pushed him a little and started walking away. "It sounds bad when you say it like that…"

He grabbed onto her hand. "I'll be there. One more thing." Curious, she turned her head toward him. Before she could ask, he got one last kiss out of her.

A faint smirk appeared on her lips. "You know Vanitas… You're going to get us caught at school."

They started walking as his fingers intertwined with hers. "You'll find some way to get us out of it." His joke caused a laugh to escape her lips. Things have been going well for them over the past few weeks. They spent whatever time they could alone in the morning and in the afternoon when no one was home. Occasionally during class, they gave glances to each other. During the time they've been together, Vanitas received a few calls from Xehanort without Aqua's knowledge, but he ignored each one to keep his promise to her. So far, the two of them were happy.

That afternoon, they walked back together to her house since her parents were usually gone during the day. She opened the door, let him in, and closed it behind them. "You want anything?"

Vanitas shook his head. "No."

They headed up to her room. Aqua put her stuff down on the floor near her desk. "Let's do homework first."

Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her waist which surprised her a little. Vanitas leaned his head on her shoulder as he closed his eyes. "That sounds boring... I can think of something better we could do."

She turned around to him, still in his arms. "Is that all you can think about?"

He arched his eyebrow as he smirked. "Already getting tired of our make-out sessions?"

"No, but-." Before she could say anything else, his lips pressed into hers. The two embraced for a minute before parting. " _But_ … for now, we could get our work done first and then do this." Vanitas decided to listen and let go of her. She headed toward her bed and sat on the edge. "Besides, we end up doing this almost every day it seems. How are you not tired of it?"

Vanitas sat beside her as he smirked a little. "Easy… because I can never get tired of you…" He smirked as he glanced toward her lips. "…or those. Fine. How about this? A few minutes of free time then we'll do whatever you want."

Feeling herself relent, she arched her eyebrow toward him. "You mean we do whatever _you_ want first, then we do what I want?"

Vanitas leaned toward her. "I thought we both wanted this." He held up a book in front of her. "Really? _This_ is more interesting than me?"

Aqua sighed as she took the book from him. "Maybe..."

Playfully, Vanitas moved in and connected with her lips on and off. His body came over hers as she laid flat against her bed. Her legs pressed against the sides of his waist. As they both began to relax, his chest pressed against hers. The tips of her fingers brushed against the back of his neck and stroked his dark hair. Both of them began to get lost in the moment with their kiss. Her hands moved further down, ruffing the fabric and rubbed against his shirt that covered his hard chest. Anxious, he grabbed onto her legs and pulled her closer to him. His hand followed along the side of her leg and passed her hips. He moved against the side of her stomach, and continued to the side of her chest. Little by little, his hand traveled and lifted her shirt upward. Soon, his hand reached the bottom edge of her bra and began to trace along the edges. Right away, Aqua noticed. Nervously, she pushed him away which made him lift his head. As he was busy catching his breath, he sat up on his knees above her. Aqua took a few minutes to catch her breath as well. "What?" he asked confused.

She sat up as her knees were bent toward her chest. "Listen…I don't know if I'm ready for that yet…"

Vanitas sat down in front of her as he looked serious. "I wasn't trying to go for anything like that."

She glanced between the bed and him. "I know...It's just that… We're not ready to go that far. I just mean touching me in that way. I don't know if I'm ready for something like that."

Vanitas scratched the back of his head as he looked off toward the side. "I knew what my hand was going for, but I didn't pay much attention to it."

Aqua smiled a little. "Well I must be attracting them like a magnet since I had to stop you a few times."

Vanitas stood up from the bed as he looked back at her. "I got caught up in the moment." Vanitas grabbed both of their school bags and sat them on the bed.

Aqua gave a curious look. "What are you doing?"

He handed over her book and sat down beside her. "What do you think? I said a few minutes then we start doing this stuff." Aqua straightened out her legs and opened her book. As things turned quiet in the room, she lifted her head toward him in front of her. She stared at Vanitas, who had a serious look on his face, as he read his book. As she watched him, she wondered if he was upset with her...

A few days later, Aqua sat in front of her friends Rikku, Paine, and Yuna at their desks. Rikku grinned as she arched her eyebrow toward Aqua. "So…? How are things going between you and your new _boyfriend_?"

Aqua lifted her head off of her hand. "Who said I have a boyfriend?"

Rikku lifted her finger and swirl it around in the air toward Aqua's face. "Oh come on! It's written all over your face. I'm on to you."

Yuna smiled. "You do seem happier."

Aqua smiled back. She decided not to keep it from them any longer. "All right…! All right… You caught me."

"Yes! So let me guess." Rikku used her other hand to hide the direction she was pointing. Aqua looked over to see her point at Terra. Terra noticed Aqua look at him and smiled. Aqua smiled back nervously. She leaned over toward Rikku. "What gave you that impression?"

Rikku shrugged. "I just assumed. I mean you two are like the perfect couple."

Aqua's frowned a little. Little did she know, she was indirectly insulting her real boyfriend. "And what makes you an expert on that?"

Rikku shrugged again. "I don't know. You guys look cute together. You come from the same background, have a lot in common, the way he smiles at you sometimes..."

Aqua waved her hand as a signal to stop. "Enough."

"If he's not your boyfriend, then who is?" Yuna asked curiously.

Aqua glanced over toward Vanitas's desk which was empty at the moment. Then, she looked at her friends. "You'll know soon enough. Anyway..." Aqua stood up from her desk and smiled. "It's a beautiful day outside. Why don't we eat out there?"

"Sure!" Rikku agreed. Rikku, Paine, and Yuna stood up and walked out with Aqua. They found a place under a tree outside of the school. They sat in the shade on the ground.

As they sat and ate, a question popped up into Aqua's mind which made her look toward the ground nervously. She needed help figuring out what to do. So far, her friends were right about Vanitas having feelings for her so she wondered if they could guide her on one more thing. "Hey guys…" They looked over at her curiously. Uneasy, Aqua looked between the three of them. "I was wondering if I could ask for your advice..."

They looked at each other curious before they looked at Aqua. Then Rikku got excited. "It's about that mystery boyfriend of yours isn't it? What's he like anyway?"

Aqua grinned as she thought about him. "He's sweet, it seems like only to me. He can be rough around the edges, but he's a big softie on the inside." Yuna and Rikku awed. Aqua placed the back of her hand to her lips as she giggled. "And if he heard me say that, he would just deny it."

"So what's your problem?" Rikku asked, anxiously.

Aqua looked nervous. "Well…it's kind of personal, but I'm not sure what to do."

Her friends looked willing to help. "So what is it?" Paine asked.

"Well… He's a good kisser. I won't deny that and sometimes I get caught up in the moment with him too, but…" Aqua was too nervous to say the next part.

Rikku and Yuna looked at each other before they looked back at Aqua. "It's okay. You can tell us," Yuna assured her sweetly.

Aqua looked down. "Never mind. I'm not sure how to say it…"

Rikku pressed her hand against her chest. "We're your friends! If you need help, we're here to help you! Now you said it's something personal between you and boyfriend and you said you get caught in the moment with him…" She placed her hands on her sides. "It's about sex isn't it?"

Yuna spit out the milk she was drinking at how bluntly Rikku asked that and how loudly she said it. Aqua leaned back embarrassed. Her face turned to a deep red. "What?!"

Rikku sighed. "Then what is it if it's not that?"

Aqua sat back and looked down. "We're not thinking about that yet…I don't think… It's just…I don't know how far I should let him go." She blushed again. She waved her hands after to make sure they didn't get the wrong idea. "Just when we kiss."

"Well… do you love him?" Yuna asked.

"Um…?" Aqua thought about it for a few seconds. "I think… I'm falling for him."

Rikku shrugged. "Well really it's up to you. If it's out of your comfort zone, then don't, but eventually when you get older, it'll going to end up coming to that anyway. Just think about it like this: do I love him enough to let him go that far and two: do I see myself with him in the future?" Rikku used her fingers to count in front of her.

Aqua looked surprised. That was actually very helpful. "Wow...Thanks Rikku!"

Rikku smiled as she gave a thumb's up. "No problem! That's what I'm here for! So? When do we get to meet this boyfriend?"

Aqua smiled. Before she could say anything, a voice called out to her. "Aqua." She looked up curious and saw Vanitas above her. His eyes traveled away from hers as he placed his hand on the back of his head. "You mind if I talk to you?"

A little concern came over her. It wasn't often that he asked to talked to her alone during school. "Sure." She stood up and began walking together.

Rikku looked upset. "Awe! What does he want now?! She was just about to tell us who her boyfriend was?" Yuna looked back toward Aqua and Vanitas. Then her eyes widened in surprise. She spotted Aqua's hand moving slowly into Vanitas's. His fingers intertwined with hers. At that moment, she realized who her boyfriend was. The thought crossed her mind about telling the others, but then decided to keep it to herself. It was best for Aqua to let Rikku and Paine know.

Aqua and Vanitas headed over to the side of the school where they would sometimes meet in the morning. Vanitas turned his back to the wall and crossed his arms, uneasy. "You haven't said much the past few days. Something you want to tell me?"

Aqua looked toward the side uneasy. "Things have been…sort of awkward for the past few days haven't they...?" Then she looked over at him as she smiled nervously. "You see… I thought you were mad at me since the other day."

Vanitas arched his eyebrow, confused. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"

Aqua closed her eyes. "Because…I thought you were upset that I stopped your hand."

A surprised, but upset look came on his face. He couldn't believe what she thought. "Really? You thought I was mad over something like that?! I told you before I'm not going to make you do anything you're not ready for!"

A smile came on her face. "I know. It's okay now." Curious, he stared at her and wondered what made her happy just now. "Still meeting at my house later?"

"Sure…" He was still confused by her reaction, but decided to go along with it.

"I'm surprised that you stopped by to check on me. I thought we were trying to keep things private."

Uneasy, he looked away from her as he put his hands in his pockets. "I just wanted to see if you were okay…" he murmured.

Aqua smiled. "That was sweet of you." She reached over and grabbed his hand from his pocket. Her smile made him feel a little more at ease. Soon they walked back inside of school.

Later that afternoon, Aqua and Vanitas walked together to her house. Inside of her room, he pulled out some papers from his bag. "All right... Let's get this over with."

Aqua smiled as she pulled her own books from her bag. "You don't have to see it as work all the time."

He sat down on the bed. "Really? What am I supposed to see it as? I don't feel like studying."

Aqua sat down beside him. "Well too bad. We've got a test coming up." Vanitas flopped back on the bed as he groaned. She placed her hand on his forehead which he looked over. She let out a smile. "All you need is some motivation."

He looked over toward the side. "This stuff is too easy. It's just numbers…" he muttered.

She arched her eyebrow. "Oh really? I can't even get all of them right so makes you think you can?"

"I know I can," he replied dully.

Soon an idea came to her mind. "Oh yeah? Care to make a little wager?"

He looked at her, confused as he turned over on his stomach. "What's the bet?" A little nervous, but determined, her finger grabbed onto the button at the bottom of her shirt. Then, she started counting quietly to herself as she touched each button of her shirt. "What are you doing?"

Her eyes lifted up to him. "Well I was thinking that I could ask you six questions. If you can get all of them right then…for every one you get right…" Her fingers started fiddling with one of the buttons on her shirt.

His eyes widened, a little interested at first, but then became upset. "Wait…! You were just getting on my case the other day about that."

Aqua smirked a little. "Who said that you could touch?"

Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "Look, but no touch?"

"Maybe…" she answered.

Vanitas wondered what she was up to, but decided to play along anyway. "All right."

Aqua shook her finger as she smiled. "You can't get one wrong or else you lose."

Vanitas smirked as he sat up in front of her. "Okay. You have my attention."

Aqua took the study guide in her hand. "All right... but these are going to be hard."

Vanitas was up for the challenge. "Go ahead."

She asked the first question she thought was hard, but instantly, he got it right. Aqua's mouth dropped in shock. Vanitas just smirked at her reaction. As she remained frozen, he reached over and loosened the bottom button of her shirt. Aqua looked down as she became a little nervous, but kept going. She asked the rest of the five questions randomly, but he had gotten them all right. One by one, he loosened the buttons from her shirt except one, which they argued about for a short time. Eventually they both decided to stop. Aqua stared at him stunned. "I can't believe you got all of them except for one. Even I didn't know the answer to some of these."

Vanitas placed his hands behind his head as he laid down on the bed. "Hey! I did get that one right, but you didn't tell me that was a two-parter."

Aqua was impressed. "Still… How did you get all of them right?"

Vanitas closed his eyes. "I'm just good with numbers. I always have been. That's why I was in charge of getting money on the streets." Then, he sat up in front of her. A calm look appeared on his face as he reached over and loosened the last button from her shirt. He waited to see her reaction.

Nervously, she stared at him. Her shirt loosened and revealed the rest of her laced, white bra underneath. His eyes stared down at her. Then, she stood up as she closed her shirt and got up off of the bed. She started buttoning her shirt. "We shouldn't..."

"That's what I thought." A sigh left from her lips as her eyes traveled down. The frown on his lips became more visible as his face tensed. Quickly he sat up. "Stop thinking that I expect something from you! If I just wanted to get in your pants, I would've done it already! It would've been easy."

Aqua frowned toward him. "It would not have! I'm not someone who just gives in!"

Vanitas placed his hands behind his head as he lied down on the bed. He breathed out as he looked toward the side. "I'm not going to leave just because you wanna wait." Vanitas held out his hand for her. "Don't force it. It's no big deal."

At first, Aqua hesitated, but then she took his hand and sat down next to him. She smiled a little. She leaned over and pressed her forehead against his. "You're really sweet," she whispered. "…and smart."

He smirked. "I'll get to you eventually." She got a little upset and pushed him. He pulled her down with him. "I'm just kidding."

Getting comfortable, Aqua lied on her side with her face inches away from Vanitas's. "Now what?" His eyes searched her before he leaned in close. Soon, his lips locked with hers in a kiss. Vanitas placed his hand against her back and pulled her in closer. Time became lost to them while they were alone. His hands caressed along the back of her neck, along her arm toward her hips. As he caressed her, her hand brushed against his muscular arms. She slipped underneath his shirt and traced her fingers along his chest and stomach. She could feel him smirk against her lips. Her eyes opened to him, curious.

Feeling her stare, his golden eyes lifted to her blue ones, confused. "What?"

Silence crept between them. Her eyes traveled toward the side as she thought, before she looked at him. By the look on her face, it seemed there was something on her mind, but it was hard to read. "All right…" Vanitas smirked as he started unbuttoning his shirt. He was willing to take a guess. "I guess I could give you better access if you wanted to touch." A slight blush came to her cheeks as she watched him. He leaned his face closer to hers as the tips of his finger lightly grabbed onto her chin. "You can say whatever's on your mind," he whispered. Afterwards, his lips met with her again. As they embraced, he could feel her hands move from his chest to his stomach. Her fingers brushed against his waistband which made him smirk. Her teasing started to get to him, but he kept himself under control.

While she touched him, she noticed how his hands would stop before he reached her chest. Little did he know, his teasing was starting to get to her too. "Vanitas…" she whispered as she brushed her lips against his.

"What?" His eyes searched her to see what she wanted. He still couldn't read her expression. Instead of getting impatient, he relaxed. "You wanna get back to work now?"

For a moment, Aqua thought about Vanitas and herself. She felt comfortable with him and at the same time curious. When she lifted her eyes into his, she felt a little less nervous. "Um…?" she spoke lowly. He remained silent, ready for an answer. Her fingers touched the top button of her shirt. She began to fiddle with it. "It's… okay," she assured him.

Surprise crept through his face. What had made her change her mind? Gently, he placed his fingers along her jawline. After staring for a little longer, she nodded toward him to answer his silence question. Slowly, he lowered his hand down toward her shirt and unbuttoned each button, waiting for any word for him to stop. To his surprise, none came as she watched him. He parted her shirt a little as she continued to watch him. His hand slipped underneath her shirt and grabbed onto her waistline. He moved in closer as he pulled her in and buried his face within the crook of her neck. "Once we start, it'll be hard for me to stop," he whispered anxiously in her ear.

In the back of her mind, she wondered what he would do next, if he would hold back or not. Then a pleasant sensation shot throughout her body that made her thoughts disappear. The feeling of his lips pulling at the skin of her neck caused a deep gasp to escape from her lips. Following the slight push from his body, she moved with her back against the bed. His hand slid across her stomach, leaving a slight tickle. For a moment, she didn't feel his hands at all. Maybe he had decided to do things differently. Suddenly, she felt his warm hand gently squeeze her left cup. A slight heat rose in her cheeks. The sensation felt different than she had ever felt before. Her body felt tensed, but relaxed. The tips of his fingers traced along the edge of her bra. "Relax." Then he began to slip underneath the fabric.

"Wait…" She opened her eyes to him as he looked down to her curious. "Don't look."

Inside, he was surprised that she didn't ask him to stop and that he had gotten this far. When she read the look on his face, he seemed indifferent. "If that's what you want." His fingers continued to trace along her smooth skin. "If that's how you want to do this…"

Slowly, he slipped his hand underneath the fabric. Her eyes lowered to a close as her lips parted. "Hm." His rough fingers felt good against her sensitive skin.

After teasing her enough, he removed his hand. "There are other ways…" His fingers brushed against her stomach down toward her thighs. "…to feel this good." Slowly, the tip of his finger brushed against her underwear. She closed her eyes as she breathed out. For a brief moment, her body felt good under his touch. Afterwards, Vanitas leaned his head against his hand as he smirked. His thumb slightly grazed softly against her lips. She opened her eyes as she turned her head toward him. As his eyes gazed into her, he noticed something different. Something he had never seen before. Confusion was written on his face. Before he could say anything, she leaned in toward him as she placed her hand against the side of his neck. She pressed her lips against his. It was then he realized what was behind her eyes just then. There was desire and longing. Her body became anxious. She wanted to continue the same pleasurable feeling that had taken over her body.

Following along, he placed his hands on each side of her waist. He turned with his back against the bed as she came over him. Inside, he became intrigued. He wondered what she would do if she had control. She pressed her knees into the bed as they were on each side of his stomach. Her body slid against his as she moved in closer to him. A sigh escaped from both of their lips as they closed their eyes. He felt the inside of her thighs brush against his. Inside, she was surprised. Just one slide against him felt strange, but…good. She wasn't sure why, but her body felt the overwhelming need to continue. Underneath her, she could feel the inside of his pants stiffen and pressed against the inside of her thighs. Vanitas reached his hands toward her waist. Before he could say anything, she grabbed onto his hands. She pinned his arms down onto the bed. At the same time as he was surprised, he was impressed. She used the same move on him as he had done before. It felt weird at first being submissive. He was almost proud of her taking control. The inside of thighs brushed against him once more. Even through the thin fabric, it felt good. Vanitas's eyes lowered to a close. His body relaxed, submitting to hers.

Downstairs, Aqua's mother and father opened the front door, tired. Her father stepped in first as her mother took off her shoes and placed them beside the door. "Hm?" Nearby, she noticed Aqua's school shoes next to a pair of unfamiliar shoes. Before she could ask, her husband stepped toward her. "Here. Looks like something came for Aqua."

She took the letter from his hand. An excited look appeared on her face soon after. "Ooh! The letters are here! I'll go tell her! She'll be so excited!"

"Hm." Her breath halted with each small, cry that escaped through her lips. Each slow, tantalizing, brush she made against him sent an overwhelming feeling throughout her body that she didn't want to stop. She tightened her grip on her sheets arms she kept him pinned down.

"Aqua!" a voice called from outside her door. Instantly, Vanitas's eyes widened as he became alerted to the familiar voice. When he looked up, it didn't seem like Aqua noticed. Quickly, he pulled her aside from him onto the bed. "Aqua!" they could hear the voice call again. The rest of her senses finally returned to her. Aqua turned her head to Vanitas worried. His breaths were as loud as hers. Outside her door, her mother stopped as she was searched through the mail. "Aqua?" Then, she opened the door and let herself in.

"Hi…! Mother!" She lifted her eyes to see Aqua stand up from her bed as she buttoned the top button of her shirt nervously.

Her mother frowned. Something seemed off. "You missed a button on your shirt. You didn't go to school like that did you?"

Aqua shook her head and smiled nervously. "No I…was getting ready to change. Please knock next time."

Her mother ignored why she looked so nervous and handed her some mail. She grinned with her eyes closed. "Looks like you got some letters from college! I know you can't wait to open them!"

Aqua nodded. "I will."

Her mother couldn't contain her excitement. "Open them now! I can't wait to hear the good news!"

"Wouldn't you rather me open them downstairs so that dad could hear?"

"Then open one for now!" Aqua relented and opened one of the envelopes. Afterwards, she opened one of the letters. Her mother stepped beside her anxious. Then, her overwhelming excitement grew again. She let out a yell. "You were accepted! I'm so proud! It's a really good school!" Aqua smiled as she nodded. Her mother headed toward the door. "Hurry down soon so you can let your father know! I'm so proud!" Afterwards she headed out of the door.

Aqua walked over and closed the door behind her as she leaned against it. She breathed out with her hands behind her hips and closed her eyes. "That was a close one," she heard a voice nearby. When she looked up, she saw Vanitas heading toward her with a smirk on his face.

"That was too close," she sounded worried, but relieved.

He stopped in front of her and stood close. "If it wasn't for my quick thinking, you would've gotten us caught."

She placed her hand to her head, thinking. "I… don't know what came over me… We almost lost control there."

Vanitas smirked. "You mean you did. I was only following your lead." Vanitas rubbed the back of his head and closed his eyes. "I know. It was going to happen eventually with me anyway."

She rubbed the side of her head as she looked down. "I'm sure I've caused trouble for you."

Vanitas let out another smirk. He stepped in closer and placed his finger gently underneath her chin. "I see… You were suppressing what you really wanted." Then, he turned around and walked toward the window. "I almost feel used."

Aqua lifted her eyes. "You don't have to go so soon."

Vanitas laughed a little. "And risk your parents coming back in? I don't want to hide under the bed again." Aqua sighed, but she understood. "Besides, if we get caught up again like we just did, I don't want your mom rushing in her wondering why her daughter is screaming."

Aqua blushed as she looked nervous. "Vanitas…" she muttered. Then she looked surprised. "Oh! Your shoes are downstairs. Hmm… If my mother didn't say anything, she must not have noticed them."

Vanitas looked down at his feet. "Great…" He sat in the windowsill. She walked over to him. Vanitas smirked at her and rubbed the side of her face. "Just give them to me when you can." He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips. "Just to warn you next time, you'll probably be naked," he said confidently. Aqua almost pushed him out of the window. He laughed a little before he left. "All in good time." She watched as he left from the window until he was out of sight. Then she shook her head. Aqua stepped out of her room and stopped on the stairwell where she saw her parents in the living room.

The next morning, Aqua was getting ready for school. "Aqua!" her mother called from downstairs. Aqua headed out of her door and stopped at the top of the stairs. Her mother gave a serious look with her father standing beside her. "Are you almost ready for school?"

"In a minute," Aqua replied.

"Well we're leaving. Breakfast is on the table," her mother told her before her father and her left the house. Aqua walked back to her room. She sighed and continued getting ready for school. She finished taking the clothes off she slept in and grabbed her white shirt. Afterwards she searched for her skirt.

As she looked, Vanitas climbed into her window. He was a little surprised at first, but then smirked. "Well good morning to you too." Aqua jumped and turned around. Vanitas stood, admiring her body. "Vanitas! What are you doing sneaking into my room?"

He pointed toward the window. "I saw your parents leave. I wanted to catch you before you left so we could walk together and you haven't given back my shoes."

Nervously, she smiled. "Oh! Right! Sorry…" Then she relaxed. The thought of him coming over early to walk with her was sweet. "You could've waited until I was dressed first."

He walked over to her. "I'm not a psychic." He wrapped his arms around her waist. "But I kind of prefer to see you this way in the morning."

She smiled. "Not now. We're going to be late for school."

He picked her up over his shoulder. "This will only take a minute."

"Vanitas! Let me go!" She let out a laugh. He tossed her on the bed and came over her as she kept laughing. He kissed her a few times before she placed her hand to his lips. "If we start now, we'll never make it to school."

He smiled. "What's wrong with that?" Playfully, she pushed him away. She finished getting dressed and ate downstairs with him before they left.

* * *

"Vanitas!" Before Vanitas stepped out, he looked back at his teacher who sat behind her desk with a deep frown on her face. The teacher held his test up in her hand. "Vanitas. You are the only on to score perfectly on the test. Now how is that?"

Vanitas kept his hands in his pocket. "I just knew the answers."

Aqua watched what happened as she slowly started packing her stuff away. An uneasy feeling came over her. The teacher arched her eyebrow. "I don't suspect cheating, do I?"

Vanitas became upset. "No."

Aqua stood beside Vanitas. "He's really smart when it comes to math and he really studied for this test. Just try him."

"Hmm…" The teacher accepted the challenge. "All right." She asked him questions from the book which he had gotten all of them right. The teacher was impressed. "Wow! All of them right. You know… our math team could use something who can process numbers as fast you."

Vanitas wasn't interested, but then he looked over at Aqua who was smiled at him as a way of saying he should. "Hmm…?" The more he watched her smile, the more she started to get to him. Finally, he gave in. "Fine..." Aqua smiled more along with the teacher. Afterwards, the teacher told him more about the practices. Letting them talk alone, Aqua walked back to her desk and gathered the rest of her things. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Vanitas. He was finally showing how talented he really was. She walked outside into the hall where she would wait for him.

"Aqua," a familiar voice called.

She looked back surprised. "Terra?"

He stepped toward her and smiled. "I've been waiting to talk to you."

Aqua blinked. "Me?"

He pulled a box out of his pocket. "Here. I wanted you to have this."

As he held the box toward her, Vanitas walked outside of the classroom to see where she was. The moment he saw them, he felt on edge. As Terra placed the wrapped red box in her hand, she wondered why the unexpected gift. "Oh! Thank you!"

"My parents will probably be over to visit your parents soon. They thought it would be appropriate to bring you something."

She smiled. "I'm sure my mother invited them over. You really didn't have to."

"I think I had to in this case. They wanted me to make a good impression."

"100th times the charm?" The two of them laughed a little which made Vanitas feel more uneasy. Aqua nodded as she smiled. "Yeah. We'll see you soon then."

"Yeah." Terra waved as he walked away. Aqua waved back. After he left, Aqua placed the box in her bag. Then, Vanitas walked out to her. Aqua smiled nervously and surprised. "Hey!"

"Hey," he replied lowly.

"You ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah." As they walked, Vanitas looked toward her and wondered if she was going to tell him about the box Terra gave her, but she didn't mention it for the rest of the day.

The next day, Aqua sat with her friends Rikku, Paine, and Yuna. The class had split off into groups for an assignment. Rikku noticed the smile on Aqua's face. "So? I see things are still working out with the boyfriend okay."

"Yeah!" Aqua replied. Yuna looked down. She wondered how Rikku would feel if she really knew who Aqua was with. Aqua looked over to see Vanitas who was in a separate group. The people in the group seemed worried to work with him as he sat down. He pointed on one boy's paper. "The answer to that one you wrote is wrong. Do it again."

Afraid, the boy responded. "Yeah... Sure..." The boy placed the paper on his desk. Vanitas sighed as he rolled his eyes. He didn't seem like he would get anywhere like this so he tried a different approach. He pointed toward the paper. "If you work it out that way, you'll see."

The boy looked surprised. "Hey! You're right!"

The two other people in the group looked surprised. "Hey Vanitas? Could you check mine?" Vanitas glanced over at the other boy's paper.

Aqua smiled. "It seems like he's finally getting along with others," she said to herself.

Rikku looked confused. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Aqua stood up. "I have to go to the bathroom." She headed out of the classroom which Vanitas noticed along with one other person. Aqua walked in the hall until a voice had called her.

"Aqua!" She looked back surprised to see Terra standing nearby. She walked back toward him. As they talked, Vanitas looked outside of the classroom and saw them together. Aqua giggled in front of him. Once again, it had put him on edge that maybe she really cared for someone else.

When lunch came around, Vanitas stepped outside the classroom. He wondered where Aqua had gone. Again, he spotted her standing in the hall talking to Terra. He was about to step in when he overheard their conversation. Aqua smiled. "Well I guess we'll end up seeing each other this weekend."

Terra nodded. "Yeah. I know our parents will be happy." Vanitas stepped back. His doubt was getting the best of him. He turned and walked the other way.

"So I was wondering if we could practice sometime today?"

Aqua shook her head. "I can't. I have plans with someone else." She smiled once she thought of Vanitas. "Maybe another time."

Terra smiled, a little disappointed. "All right." Aqua headed back into the classroom to see if Vanitas was still there. Then, she was a little surprised, but mostly confused of where he could be.

Vanitas walked outside. His hand grabbed the side of his head. His mind was tearing apart, thinking that Aqua had fallen for someone else. Someone everyone else wanted her with. Suddenly, his phone rung. His eyes traveled to his pocket. He knew only one person who would call him at this time. When he pulled the phone out of his pocket, he recognized the number. As the phone kept ringing in his hand, he thought about his promise to Aqua. Along with that, he thought about her with Terra. He thought that eventually she could fall for him. The thought was almost too much. He answered the phone and pressed it to his ear. "Vanitas..." the voice said on the other line. "It's been a while hasn't it?" Vanitas's lips wanted to move, but they wouldn't. "I'm calling to offer your position back with me. You were always good with the numbers." Vanitas looked toward the ground as he stared to regret answering his phone. "There has to be some reason you picked the phone."

Then he got angry. "You almost killed my girlfriend!"

"We just needed to make sure that she didn't tell about us. Come back Vanitas and things will be better than they were before." Vanitas went silent again. "Besides… how long will that girlfriend of yours stay with you anyway?" Vanitas's eyes widened. "She could move on from you at any second. Why experience that kind of hurt? Stay with me and you'll always have a place with me… Son." Vanitas looked down. Maybe he was right. He thought that doing something would help him take his mind off the pain.

"All right…" Vanitas said lowly. "What do you want me to do?"

Behind Vanitas, Aqua stood nearby. Her lips parted stunned because he had broken his promise. She overheard him at the end and knew who he was talking to right away. She looked toward the ground and wondered how long this had been going on. Vanitas closed his phone and headed off the school grounds. At that moment, Aqua wanted to say something to him, but the words wouldn't come to her. She held her head down as she pressed her fist against her chest. He promised her that he wouldn't go back to that place. She believed that what he did had become more important than her. Devastated, she turned around and headed toward the school. From then on, neither one of them knew where they stood as far as their relationship.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	10. The Other Side: Growing Apart

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! Hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 9: Growing Apart:_

Aqua stared down at the white, patio table in front of her as she was surrounded by Terra's and her parents. Their parents around them were laughing. Terra glanced over at Aqua and noticed how she seemed sad. She zoned out of the conversations around her as she didn't feel much like participating.

Across town, Vanitas stood in an alleyway, with his eyes lowered and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Some of the boys that were with him were hurting one boy who was on the ground. Vanitas paid less attention to what was going on as his thoughts traveled back to Aqua. Eventually his heart had felt numb.

A few days later, Aqua sat at her desk as she didn't pay attention to much around her. Rikku, Paine, and Yuna noticed that she had been sad more often. "Aqua…" Yuna said softly. She looked away from them. They didn't want to make things worse, but they had to ask.

"Is everything okay?" Rikku asked.

Aqua didn't answer. She glanced back out of the corner of her eye. In the back of the room, Vanitas's desk was empty. Lately, she hadn't seen him much. Whenever she would try to call, he didn't answer. When she tried him at home, he wasn't there. She turned her head away. Yuna reached out for her. "Aqua?"

Soon, class was dismissed. Right away, Aqua stood up and walked from the room. Her friends looked concerned and called for her, but she wouldn't respond or come back. In the hallway, she wondered if there was another way she should confront Vanitas. Then, Rikku, Paine, and Yuna ran out to her. "Aqua!" She looked over at them to see the concerned looks on their faces.

Rikku tried smiling at her. "Hey Aqua…! There's no use being down because the school dance is coming up."

Aqua looked over at Rikku curious. "A dance?"

Yuna grinned. "Yeah! Our school is going to have one this year. It's going to be perfect." Aqua smiled a little to hide her sadness. For her, it wouldn't be.

Rikku looked curious. "So what's got you so down? Problems with the boyfriend?"

Aqua looked off toward the side, disappointed. "I don't think…I have one anymore…"

Rikku and Yuna looked disappointed as Paine crossed her arms. They could understand more about why she was sad lately. Rikku shrugged. "Maybe it was for the best." Aqua looked down. She didn't say anything. She didn't want it to be over. After talking with her friends, she headed for home. She stared down, still thinking about Vanitas.

"Aqua!" She stopped and looked back. Terra caught up with her. "Hey!"

"Hey..." she replied back.

He looked a little concerned. "Are you okay? Rikku said that you weren't yourself."

She smiled a little with her eyes closed. "Yeah. I'm okay."

He smiled a little. "Then…I hope I'm not too late."

Aqua was surprised, but mostly confused. "Too late for what?"

He held out his hand. "I was hoping that, if someone didn't ask you already, I would like to ask you to the dance."

Aqua blinked a few times surprised. "Me? Why?"

Terra rubbed the back of his head. "Well I thought it would be nice to go with someone I know. Someone who's fun to be around. You don't have to see it as a date, but if anything, I rather go with you."

Aqua was still surprised. She looked down toward the ground, thinking about Vanitas. At this point, it seemed that their relationship was starting to fade. If he wasn't talking to her, then she figured that he wouldn't ask her. Then, she looked up at Terra as she smiled gently. "Sure! I would love to."

A smile came on his face, relieved. "We can talk about the details later." Aqua nodded. Afterwards, Terra walked away. Aqua placed her head down. Apart of her thought it was good to get out, but she was still sad about not going with Vanitas. Afterwards, Aqua headed home alone. She stepped onto her front porch when someone called her from nearby.

"Aqua!" Quickly, her head turned. The voice was close enough that she thought maybe it could be Vanitas. When she looked over, she saw Ventus smile at her. Aqua relaxed as she sighed silently. Ventus walked over to the fence. "Hey!"

Aqua forced a smile. "Hi Ven!"

Ventus stood, a little nervous. "So um…?"

Aqua looked curious. She walked over to the fence in front of him. It didn't make it easy to what he had to ask. "Ven?"

Ventus rubbed the back of his head. "Well…I heard that there's a dance coming up. I was just wondering if you…needed someone to go with…"

Aqua looked surprised especially being asked twice in a row. She smiled, apologetic. "Sorry Ven… I would love to, but someone has already asked me and I said yes."

Ventus looked down, disappointed. "Oh…"

Aqua felt bad. She rubbed the top of his head. "Tell you what. Next dance, I'll be your date."

Ventus lifted his head up as he smiled. It was better to ask than not. Ventus nodded. "Okay." Aqua looked down, thinking about asking Ventus about Vanitas. Ventus noticed the stress look on her face. "Aqua?"

Aqua snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh? Oh…! Um…?" Then, she looked concerned. "I haven't seen your brother around lately... Is he home now?"

Ventus shook his head. "No… He hasn't been around lately. I'm not sure where he's been." Aqua looked down disappointed and concerned. She wondered if he was all right. Ventus looked curious. "Aqua?"

"It's nothing Ven, but…" Aqua looked over at him. "If you see him…will you let me know if he's all right?" Aqua headed toward her house. "I'll talk to you later." Ventus wanted to ask, but soon had let it go and headed inside of his house.

Later that night, Vanitas walked through the door of his house. Ventus was sitting in the kitchen, eating. "Hey!" Vanitas didn't respond. There was a tired and irritated look on his face. He was getting ready to head upstairs when Ventus stopped him again. "I heard the school was having a dance. Are you going to take anybody to it?" Vanitas frowned toward him. He thought about it for a second since it was the first time he had heard about it, but realized there was no point to care. He didn't answer again. Soon after, he went upstairs. Ventus got a little upset. "Man! What is up with him?"

* * *

A few weeks passed. Still no words were spoken between Aqua and Vanitas. It was night when Aqua's mother called her from downstairs. "Aqua! Your date has arrived!" Soon after, Aqua stepped down, wearing a light blue, strapless dress that was long enough to reach the floor. She wore a diamond necklace around her neck she borrowed from her mother. She smiled at her parents, but mostly at her date that was waiting downstairs. He wore a black tuxedo with a black, long tie. Aqua's mother went to her first once she got off of the stairs "Awe! You look so beautiful!"

"Thank you," Aqua replied quietly. Terra extended out his arm which Aqua walked beside him and took. The two had been talking a lot more since he asked her to the dance.

Aqua's mom stood excited. "I have to take pictures first!" She pulled out her camera and took a few pictures of the two together. "So? Will your parents be getting pictures of you two Terra?"

Terra nodded. "Yes. We're heading back over to my house now. I won't keep Aqua out too late."

Aqua's mother smiled. "Stay out a little later if you need to." Aqua and Terra smiled toward them. The two turned around and left out of the door.

* * *

In his room, Vanitas was lying on his bed when his phone rung. After listening, he headed downstairs where Ventus was sitting on the couch. He looked back surprised. "Hey!"

Vanitas gave him an annoyed look. "What?"

"Are you heading to the dance like that?" Ventus asked.

Vanitas looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

Ventus leaned on the edge of the couch. "Tonight's the night of the dance. I told you about this weeks ago." Vanitas looked surprised. He had forgotten all about it. Ventus pointed over in the kitchen. "Mom left you a suit just in case you wanted to go." Vanitas looked over in the kitchen. He wondered if Aqua was going. He was curious to find out. Then, he mentally shook the idea from his head. Before he stepped out, Ventus spoke again. "Oh yeah…" Vanitas looked back serious. "Aqua's been asking about you. She seems really worried."

Vanitas's eyes lowered toward the ground. Inside, it surprised him that Aqua asked about him after all this time. A lot of question came to mind about her, but he decided not to ask. Afterwards, the thought came that maybe she still cared about him. He had some time before his next job would come up so he could find out for sure. "Did she say if she was going?"

Ventus looked surprised. "Yeah, but…" Vanitas walked away before he could finish. He didn't get a chance to tell him that she had a date.

Vanitas walked into the kitchen and grabbed the suit that was left for him. After he changed upstairs, he left his house to go to hers. He thought this would be his chance to see Aqua. He climbed to her window. "Aqua?" Inside, the room was dark so he figured that she must've already left.

* * *

At school, there were people around in the gym either standing around, talking on the side or dancing. Aqua stood with her friends Rikku, Paine, and Yuna. Rikku leaned toward Aqua. "This is fun right?!"

When she looked forward, Aqua saw Terra stand next to them. Their eyes met which they smiled at each other. Terra walked over to her. "Care to dance?" he asked. Aqua nodded. He took her hand and they headed further out into the crowd. Slowly, they began to dance in a circle from side to side. The two smiled gently toward each other.

Rikku, Paine, and Yuna smiled as they watched the two of them. They seemed to really get along. "Yuna!" The three of them looked over to see Tidus wave. Yuna smiled and took his hand. He led her to the dance floor as well.

Rikku placed her hands on her hips. "I guess it's just the two of us now." Paine nodded.

As everyone danced, Vanitas stopped at the doorway of the gym. If Aqua was alone with her friends, then maybe he would realize his mistake and he could make up for what he had done. When he searched inside, he saw Aqua and Terra in plain sight as they were near the edge of the crowd. Aqua stared at Terra smiling as he did the same. The two never took their eyes off each other. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as his arms were wrapped around her waist. The sight was almost too much...

"I'm glad that you came out tonight," Terra said.

Aqua nodded. "Me too." She looked down a little. "I didn't think I would have fun tonight, but it really has…been nice."

Terra was happy to hear that. "Then I'm glad you said yes." Aqua smiled a little. Then a feeling came across him in the moment. "Aqua," he whispered. He leaned in closer which her eyes widened in surprised. Before she could say anything, she felt his lips pressed against hers. Vanitas was about to step out toward them determined, but then froze once he saw Terra pressed his lips against Aqua's. No words came to him. He could no longer move. Then, it had finally dawned on him. It seemed that she really had moved on with someone else. What they had was nothing more than a lie. Anger and hurt filled him. Unable to watch any longer, he turned and left.

Aqua grabbed onto Terra's shoulders. After her shock, she was finally able to pull herself away. Terra looked surprised. Had he made a mistake? "Did I do something wrong?"

Aqua separated herself from Terra, worried and stunned. "I'll be right back." He watched her, worried he had gone too far. She walked away and sat at a table. What happened was unexpected. She reached into her purse when suddenly she felt something. She pulled out the necklace with the ring on the end that Vanitas had given her. She stared at it surprised. She hadn't worn it for a while and forgot where she had put it. She stared at it and wondered if she had made a mistake for not trying to make things work. She remembered that she had also promised him to keep him out of trouble. Both of them had broken their promises. Realizing she had to go back, she rushed over to Terra. "Terra. I have to go."

He looked surprised. "What?"

"I'm sorry." She took off running.

He reached his hand out. "Wait! Do you need a…ride…?" It was too late, she was already gone.

Aqua went back to Vanitas's house and knocked on the door as much as she could before Ventus answered. His eyes widened in surprised. "Aqua?"

She stepped inside. "Have you seen Vanitas?"

Ventus looked confused. "He didn't come back. Last I saw him, he went to the school. I don't know where he is now." Aqua looked surprised. She wondered if Vanitas had seen her there with Terra. Why else would he have gone and then left without a word? Ventus looked around her neck and seen the necklace that Vanitas gave her. "Hey! Where did you get that from?" Aqua looked down and grabbed onto the necklace around her neck. She looked at it and wondered where Vanitas could be now.

* * *

Across town, a guy ran out of the alley scared. Lexaeus caught the boy with his hand and threw him against the wall which knocked the air out of him. Demyx frowned as he looked over at Vanitas. "Look at this guy…" Vanitas leaned against the wall with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. His head was down as his bangs covered over his eyes. He waved his hand. "I still can't believe he gets to work under Master Xehanort even after he just up and left the organization!"

Xigbar smirked beside him. "Well… what are you going to do? It's what he wants." He headed closer toward Vanitas. "So? What's got you so down…?" Vanitas didn't move, much less answer. Xigbar bounced his gun against his shoulder. "Let me guess… Girl problems huh?" Afterwards, he noticed Vanitas's slip reaction of parting his lips. Xigbar shook his head. "She was out of your league anyway! She was probably just using you to piss her parents off. They have a funny way of doing that."

Vanitas tossed the empty bottle which broke against the ground. He turned and started walking away. "I'm going to get more…"

Xigbar smirked. "Tell you what? I know a way you can feel better…" Vanitas looked back as he frowned. "You'll forget all about it."

Later that night, the four sat in a hideaway. A woman approached Lexaeus who kept his frown on. Before she could get close, he pushed her away. Xigbar smirked over at him. "Come on big guy! You need to relax."

Lexaeus crossed his arms. "We should get back."

"Come on! Just for a few minutes. We're trying to cheer the kid up!"

Two girls cuddled next to Demyx as he grinned with his sitar in hand. "I'm already feeling a lot better!"

Xigbar looked up at one woman standing nearby. "Our friend down there needs a little cheering up. He just lost his girlfriend."

The older woman walked over to Vanitas who was leaning over with his arms on his legs, staring down. He seemed out of it. The woman kneeled down to look him in the eyes. "What's wrong sweetie? You got your heart broken?" She placed her hand against his chest and pushed him back against the chair. "I know how to make you feel better…" Her hand rubbed against his chest when she noticed something in his pocket. When she tipped the pocket, she saw munny inside. Her hand slipped further down. She loosened his belt and unbuttoned his pants. Snapping out of his haze, Vanitas placed his hand against her forehead and pushed her away. She fell back on the floor as she let out a grunt. Vanitas stood up as he grabbed the bottle of alcohol on the armrest and walked away.

Xigbar looked over curious. "Where are you going?" Vanitas walked out of the empty building without answering. He made it into the alleyway stumbling and bouncing from wall to wall. Memories flashed through his mind of happier times with Aqua and him that he just wanted to forget. Then, he leaned against the wall beside a dumpster. It wasn't long before he fell asleep.

The next morning, Vanitas opened his eyes. His eyes winced as he leaned over and noticed the sun getting through. He placed his hand against his head that pounded in pain from his hangover. Memories of last night flooded back to him mainly when he saw Aqua with Terra. His eyes lowered. He had lost her. Now that she was gone, he had nothing left to lose.

"Hey! There you are!" When he looked over, he saw Xigbar head toward him. "Kind of a cliché isn't it? A bum sleeping in the gutter." Vanitas looked down. He was in no mood. "Forget about that girl. That's why you're back isn't it?" Vanitas looked off to the side. Xigbar started walking away. "Come on. The boss wants to see us. Hopefully you can stand." Vanitas struggled a little to sit up as he slid up against the wall. Afterwards, he followed Xigbar. After some time had passed, things were back to the way they used to be.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	11. The Other Side: What The Heart Feels

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story! I've gotten a few questions about the order of the story. If you would like to read about all of the characters' stories, "Life" will have the correct order. _

_Please let me know if anyone is just reading one or two of the stories whether through review or PM. That way I'll have an idea of how to update the stories or to just update "Life" instead of separating the stories._

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 10: What The Heart Feels:_

Aqua stared forward in class, concerned. She turned her head to the back of the room to see an empty desk. She didn't know where Vanitas could be. He would disappear more often now it seemed. After class was over, Aqua was packing her stuff when the teacher called her. After she finished, Aqua headed to her desk. "Aqua? Have you seen Vanitas?" Aqua shook her head, uneasy. The teacher gave a concerned look. "I thought you might be the one to know. He's missing class again and he hasn't shown up for any of the practices for the math team." Aqua's eyes traveled toward the floor. She couldn't hide her concerned. She thought things would be better this time around. The teacher sighed with her eyes closed. "Well... If you see him, please let me know. Just when I start to see an improvement in him..." she sounded disappointed. Many times, the same thought crossed her mind. Aqua wondered if she should go find Vanitas herself to see if he was okay...

* * *

Vanitas closed his eyes tight as he put his fingers to his forehead. The pain had already taken over him. He noticed the sun's ray filled the warehouse. He wasn't sure what time of day it was, but it didn't matter. Sleep would carry him away until his next mission.

"You keep drinking like that, you may never wake up again." Vanitas looked over from the couch and saw Xehanort sitting at his desk writing. He was surprised that he was already in the empty warehouse. "Alcohol is not the way to make you forget. You'll have to live with the mistakes you make for the rest of your life." Vanitas sat up a little. "This girl…She must've meant a lot to you for you to betray me."

Vanitas looked off to the side uneasy. "I shouldn't have…I'm sorry."

Xehanort waved his hand. "It's fine, but if you do it again, that'll be end of your life."

Vanitas sat up. He put his head down in pain. "What do you want me to do today?"

"Things have been kind of slow. Just rest for now. I doubt you can do much with that hangover."

"I'm fine," Vanitas's assured him.

Xehanort turned more toward him. "You don't look fine. Get over it. It's better that you learn now." He turned back toward his desk. "Go home and sleep this off."

Vanitas sighed. "I'm…not ready to go back."

"This isn't exactly the most comfortable place. Ah! You're afraid you'll run into that girl again?"

Vanitas lied back on the couch. It wasn't as comfortable as his bed, but still, his back could deal with it for now. "This is fine."

Xehanort stood up. "Suit yourself." He stopped beside Vanitas. "I have your word then? You don't plan on leaving us again?"

Vanitas looked down uneasy. "Yes…master…"

Xehanort walked away. Apart of Vanitas was still unsure about working for him again, but what else did he have? Soon, he turned his head as he closed his eyes. He fell back asleep.

* * *

"How are things with your brother? Has he been by at all…?" Aqua looked over at Ventus curious as she walked beside him.

"The last time he stopped by was a few days ago. He and my mom got into an argument about where he's been and what he's been up to, but Vanitas wouldn't give her an answer. She wanted to kick him out, but because she needs help, she didn't. He hasn't been back since."

Aqua looked down a little concerned. "Hmm…" In her mind, she was mostly sure she knew where he was. She thought about trying to find him again, but after what they've been through before, it would be dangerous to go back. "I'm sorry to hear that…"

Ventus smiled. "No worries. I'm looking for something I could do part-time to help out. Then we won't need Vanitas's help anymore." Aqua wondered how Ventus felt about Vanitas. She didn't think he would give up on his brother, but she was afraid that he would. Ventus waved toward her. "See you at practice tomorrow!"

Aqua snapped out of her thoughts and smiled a little as she waved. "See you tomorrow!" She watched as he walked to his house. Afterwards, she headed to her own. Inside of her room, she sat on her bed near the window and looked out. She still held out hope that she would run into him again...

* * *

Vanitas sat on the couch tired as Xigbar and Lexaeus stood nearby in front of Xehanort. After a few minutes of talking, the two walked away. Xehanort turned his attention to Vanitas. "Go home."

Vanitas looked curious. "There's nothing else you want me to do?"

"You've been working hard. I know you want to forget, but you can't just stay here. I need you in top shape and you won't be that sleeping here." Vanitas let out a sigh. After time and time again of Xehanort demanding for him to go home, he finally relented.

Later at sunset, Aqua returned back home tired after her practices were over. She stared toward the ground. It's been a few days since she talked about what happened with Ventus, but still had no luck catching Vanitas. She still thought about taking the chance to go see him, but decided against it for safety reasons. As she headed toward the fence, she looked over toward Vanitas's house. Suddenly, her eyes widened as her lips parted. She breathed in deep. She couldn't believe what she saw at that moment.

It was him...

Vanitas headed toward the door of his home with a brown bag in his hand. This was her chance to finally speak to him. As much as she wanted to speak, no words came to her. She wasn't sure why. She placed her hand against her chest. Why was she so hesitant? This was what she wanted. She wanted to know what had gone wrong between them and yet, it was as if she was holding herself back. Finally, she pushed herself and called out to him. "Vanitas!"

Vanitas stopped and stood still. She wondered if he would turn to look at her, but it didn't seem like he would. It was as if time had stood still then. For weeks, they hadn't seen each other but now, it was as if they haven't seen each other for years. It was still too much for him. He started unlocking the door to his house. Afraid, she called out, "Don't go!" Instantly, Vanitas stopped. He refused to look over at her. Aqua shook as her emotions got to her. Her fists baled at her side. She didn't know what she should say. The feelings of hurt and sadness she felt for weeks over their separation began to surface. She rushed over. He tried to close the door, but she placed her hands against it to stop him. "I-!" She looked down.

"Just come in." Aqua lifted her head up surprised. Vanitas still didn't turn to face her. His bangs casted shadows over his face. He tried to contain his emotions as well. "No one's home." Vanitas headed inside and left the door open for her. Aqua was surprised that he didn't put up much of a fight. Vanitas closed the door behind her once she stepped inside. He dropped down on the couch and placed his feet on the table. Uneasy, Aqua sat down beside him. The two sat in silence. Her eyes occasionally glanced at him, but he refused to look at her and only stared toward the bag he placed on the table. Neither one of them knew what to say first or express their hurt.

After a few minutes, Aqua looked at Vanitas out of the corner of her eye. "Where have you been…?"

His eyes looked to the side away from her. "Is that the first thing you wanna to ask me…?"

Aqua's eyes traveled to the floor. It was obvious something was unresolved between them, but what was it? Then, she turned her head to him. "Why did you leave…?"

When Vanitas looked over, he was surprised to see her sad expression. He wondered why she asked him that when he wanted to ask her the same thing. His bangs casted a shadow over his eyes. "I should be asking you that. Why didn't you just tell me you wanted to end this?"

Her eyes widened in surprised. "What?!" She couldn't believe it. "Me? You-!"

He pressed his lips together tightly. "I was right the whole time," he whispered. He had no choice but to face this problem head on. Anger seeped through his face. "You were the one that moved on! Not me! You should have just told me!"

She pressed her fist to her chest. "What? But I never-!"

Vanitas gave her a skeptical look. "Hm! You have a funny way of showing it."

"I never wanted to-!" Aqua tried to move in closer, but then her leg knocked over a bottle. She was about to pick it up, but then seen what kind of bottle it was. Her eyes widened in shocked. "Vani-…" Vanitas looked down to see what she found, but then looked away. He knew that he was going to yelled at for it. Aqua grabbed the bottle and stared at it for a little. Then, she looked at him. "You've been…" She took a few seconds to process before she spoke again. "When did you start drinking?" He refused to look at her. When he didn't answer, she got upset. "Why?! Why would you do something as irresponsible as this?!" she raised her voice. There was no response. It only made her more upset. Then she noticed the brown bag on the table. Vanitas noticed what she spotted. Quickly, the two leaned forward, but Aqua was fast enough to grab it with a slight head start over Vanitas.

"Give it back!" Vanitas demanded, angry.

Aqua reached into the bag and pulled out another large bottle of alcohol. She glared back toward him. "Are you drunk now?"

His eyes refused to look at hers. Aqua gave a frustrated sigh as she stood up and went into the kitchen. Vanitas looked surprised and then rushed after her. When he walked into the kitchen, he spotted Aqua pouring the bottle down the drain. "What do you think you're doing?!" He struggled to get the bottle out of her hand.

Aqua looked at him upset. "I'm not letting you poison yourself with alcohol!" The two continued to struggle. Finally, the bottle slipped out of both of their hands and crash on the ground. It broke into several pieces. Vanitas grabbed on tight to Aqua's wrist, upset and pulled her close. Without thinking, he leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. There was the slight taste of alcohol on his breath. She wanted to argue against it, but she got caught up in a kiss she had longed from him. Vanitas grabbed her arms, pulling her toward him. He closed his eyes tight. He had missed her so much. He wanted her to be his again. Small moans escaped from her lips. He leaned forward as she leaned back against the kitchen sink. "Wait…No…This isn't…" she tried to speak between kisses. It was hard not to give in. With every bit of strength she had, she pushed him away. Both of them began breathing hard. Aqua shook her head with her eyes closed. "This isn't the way to solve our problems between us."

Vanitas breathed out frustrated and walked out of the kitchen. Aqua wasn't sure what was going through his mind. She looked down toward the broken pieces of glass on the ground. She grabbed a broom and dustpan from nearby and cleaned up. She didn't want anyone else to find out about him drinking. After she was done, she stepped back into the living room where she saw Vanitas leaning his chin on the back of his hands as his elbows were pressed into his knees. A sad look came to her face. "You were the one who broke your promise. You said that you would never go back."

He frowned toward her. "I broke it because of you."

She looked surprised. "How? What did I do to-?"

"Terra…" he answered.

"What?" She was confused as to why he thought something was going on between the two of them. Vanitas remained quiet as he stared at the ground. "What gave you the idea that I rather be with him than you?"

"I saw him give you something and you never mention it. Then the two of you seemed really friendly with each other and wanting to spend time together." He breathed out a little. "Then there was that dance…"

Aqua's eyes lifted in surprised. Her guess was right. At some point he was there, but when? Inside she was worried about what he could've saw. Her eyes lowered as she fiddled with her fingers. "Vanitas-."

"I saw you kissing him." Anger welled inside of him as he said it. He could still see the image of them in his head.

It seemed her concerns were right. "When did you…?"

"Ventus told me about that stupid dance and said that you were asking about me." He glared toward her. "I wanted to see if I was wrong about the two of you."

"You are! It's not what you think!" She sat down beside him. She placed her hand on his knee which caused him to look over. "I don't remember him giving me anything…"

Vanitas remembered it clearly. "It was a red box and afterwards, you told him you would see him that weekend."

Then, she looked surprised. "Oh…! Now I remember." She gave him a concerned look. "I forgot all about that. I was sure that it was something his parents made him get. I never even opened it. Right now, it's just sitting in a drawer somewhere." Aqua smiled a little. "But whenever you gave me something, I would open it right away because what you gave me really mattered."

In her eyes, he could see her sincerity, but still had doubts. "What about _him_?"

Aqua looked down as she thought. "After you left me alone, I was really sad. Terra noticed and he asked me to go with him so I said yes. I wanted to go with you, but you never asked." She shook her head. "But I never expected what happened next! I didn't expect him to kiss me."

Vanitas looked suspicious. "Did you want him to?"

Aqua shook her head as she quickly responded. "No! Never! When he kissed me, it caught me off guard."

"Did you kiss him back?"

Aqua shook her head. "No. In that moment, I just froze… but after that, I left and I went looking for you-" She pulled out her necklace from her shirt. "because I found this. I always kept it by my side."

Vanitas sighed silently as he looked toward the ground. He still felt unsure. She placed her hands together as she felt a little nervous. "I care about you a lot more than him. I only have feelings for you and you're the only one I want to be with." Vanitas looked over at her. He stared into her eyes to see if she had really meant it. Silence crept between them. Neither knew what the other thought. Afterwards, he stood up and walked passed her. Aqua sighed as she looked down. She thought that she didn't get through to him. "I'm sorry… If I could take it back, I would. I just want…things to be right with us again." Her head lowered as she held her hands together in front of her. "I don't want you to disappear again…"

Then, his hand came into her field of vision. Her eyes traveled upwards to see him stand in front of her as he was held his hand out for her to take. "Come with me," he said softly. She was curious as to why. but she trusted him. She grabbed his hand as she stood up. He walked and took her with him. Once he headed upstairs, she really wondered what he was up to at that moment.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Next update might be a little late because KH3 is coming out and I will be playing!_


	12. The Other Side: Strong Renewal

_**Author's Notes:** __Thanks for your follows and favorites! I appreciate it!_ _Sorry it took so long to finally update! I've finished KH3 and been on a hiatus ever since. Haven't had a lot of time to edit the upcoming chapters and I've been working on this chapter a lot ..._

 ** _Warning + Sort of spoiler alert for this chapter:_** _Things get graphic in this chapter so for anyone who doesn't want to read anything sexual, I've section it off like this: At the beginning I will put "xxx" and at the end you're see a line across the page. I know not everyone wants to read the graphic parts so I've made it a little easier to skip._

 _Hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 11: Strong Renewal:_

Things remained quiet. The hallway was dark as they made it upstairs. Her hand was still wrapped in his. She wondered what he was up to...

Vanitas led Aqua to his room. He kept the lights off as the room was only lit by the moonlight. He closed the door once they entered inside. Aqua turned to him. "Vanitas? Why-?" Vanitas grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. Before he could kiss her, she placed her finger to his lips. "This isn't the way to resolve this." Vanitas sighed and leaned against the door. She wanted to focus on the issue at hand. "We've been over this. Why would you think that I was going to leave you for Terra?"

Inside, his body cringed at her words. A frown appeared on his lips as he looked off to the side and crossed his arms. "It doesn't matter…"

Aqua looked frustrated. "Yes it does! Now tell me! I don't want it to keep going like this…" She placed his hand on his forearm. "Tell me…Please?"

His shoulders tensed. "Just drop it…"

Aqua grabbed Vanitas's hands. "We won't get anywhere if you don't tell me how you feel." A concerned look came on her face. "Listen… I don't care about Terra like that. You're the one who's special to me. Believe me when I say that." Even with her sincerest smile, he still felt doubt. The longer he remained silent, the more she felt concerned. "Vanitas..." Vanitas turned away from her. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Believe me! I wouldn't lie to!" Aqua could see that she still wasn't getting through to him. Then, a thought dawned on her. "You're still insecure, aren't you?"

He shrugged her off. "Don't say it like that…" he muttered.

Aqua stared down, disappointed. "Because of what you thought, it led you back to working for that man again…" She shook her head. "I never wanted that to happen…" His eyes traveled down. Uneasy, she looked at him. "You never told me how long you've been…drinking…" Anxious, she fiddled with fingers. "Will you tell me that…?"

Vanitas sighed as he looked toward the floor. "It's been a while... First, when I started working. I needed something to deal with the pain. Now… I just needed to forget. It just…numbed me."

Aqua wrapped her arms around him tightly as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Little by little, he let his guard down. "Back then, I knew something was wrong and I should've stopped you then." Inside, she felt hurt and disappointed that she didn't help him back then, but now she knew things could change. A determined look came on her face. "Will you stop listening to what you think other people will think about us and you and just listen to me? I want to be with you." She let go of him and looked serious. "Just you." She grabbed his hands tightly as she smiled. "Only you." She stood in front of him. "Will you actually listen to me for a change and… to stop working for that Xehanort guy?"

Vanitas searched her eyes. Was he willing to take that chance on her again? Was he willing to dive into the unknown? His mind was against it, but his heart was another story. His hands grabbed onto hers. After silence filled the room, he decided which one he would listen to. "It's…fine."

Aqua smiled, hopeful. "Really?"

He nodded as he looked a little serious. "Yeah," he whispered. He was still unsure, but at that moment, he would take a chance.

Aqua pressed her forehead against his. Both of them closed their eyes. "No matter what, I'll always stay by your side." The two stood together until she stood up straight. "If I stay, will you not go back?"

Vanitas looked toward the side. It would be hard to get out of the organization especially being in deep again, but maybe there was a way. For tonight, he wouldn't worry. "Yeah..."

Afterwards, she wrapped her arms around him, happy to hear that. "That's a new promise?"

Silently, he nodded. She smiled. "Then we should make it official." Aqua leaned in and kissed him on the lips. His arms wrapped her back as she placed her hands on his shoulders. After the two separated, Aqua let out a smile. In return, it made him feel calm.

Vanitas pointed back toward the door. "So? Now that it's over, do you wanna go back into the living room? Watch something?"

"Maybe…" Aqua stared toward the floor. Her thoughts traveled back to earlier when they had first come into the room.

Vanitas looked confused. He stood impatient and waved his hand in front of her. "Hello…? Anybody there?"

Aqua grabbed her arm behind her back. "It's been pretty quiet here. Where is your mother and Ven?"

"They're usually out for a while. That's why I came back here before they got back." Aqua's eyes traveled down. Vanitas arched his eyebrow, confused. "Don't start ignoring me now."

Then, she lifted her head to him as she stepped in closer. "Vanitas…" she whispered. Aqua's arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Vanitas was surprised at first, but soon had given into her. Aqua separated from him, her eyes gazed into his. He was still speechless by her passionate kiss. Her eyes stared into his with love and want. "You're…you're the only one I want to be with," she said between them. She hugged him close to her. Her body felt soft against him. Before he could embrace her, she took a small step back from him. One by one, her fingers unbuttoned her white shirt.

Vanitas stared surprised. "Aqua. You don't have to-."

"I want to…" Her lips met with his again as her body pressed against his. Vanitas stepped back until his back bumped against his door as he closed his eyes. The two relaxed. Tonight would be a moment of reconnect. No more doubts. Their world would only be focused on them. Both of them breathed hard after she separated from him. She raised his shirt over his head and dropped it against the floor. His back pressed against the door as she placed her hands against his hard, well toned chest and kissed him again. Lightly, he grabbed onto the side of her arms. Her head leaned into the crook of his neck and began softly kissing on his neck. Breath escaped from his lips. The feeling of her pulling at the skin of his neck sent a shockwave throughout his body. His hand reached the back of her head and ran his fingers through the blue strands of her hair.

Soon, she felt a slight pull from his hand. He tilted her head back so that their eyes would meet. There was a serious look on his face. Vanitas place his fingers under her chin. His thumb ran across her bottom lip. "Is this what you want?" Aqua leaned her head against his forehead with her eyes closed. She nodded. He wanted to make sure. "Yes?"

She separated from him. "Yes," she whispered nervously. He stared at her which she looked surprised. "What?"

He closed his eyes as he smirked. "Nothing. Just didn't think we would get this far."

She let out a smile. "Come on! I know you've thought about it."

Vanitas smirked. "Of course I have." Aqua placed her arms around his neck as she smiled. Vanitas closed his eyes as a small smirk came to his face. To him, it was funny how wrong he was about the way she felt for him. Now he could be with the girl he wanted most. He pulled her shirt down her shoulders. Lightly, he kissed her shoulder. Her head leaned against his shoulder as he continued to kiss her. Soon, Vanitas lifted her off of the ground and pressed her against his door. Her legs wrapped around his waist as she held onto his neck. As he wrapped his arms around her waist, her shirt dropped from his hand onto the floor. He placed kisses against her chest as he turned around and walked toward his bed.

XXX

Vanitas placed Aqua down on his bed first. She moved over toward the side. She watched as Vanitas sat beside her. For a moment, the two stared at each other as they both thought about the next step to come. Soon, Aqua placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned in. She placed her lips upon his. Vanitas followed her soft push as she moved her body over his. A smirk appeared. "As much as I like to get started, there's something I need to take care first." A curious look came on her face. He sat up as he kept his eyes on her. "I don't need another reason for your parents to hate me." He reached inside of the drawer in the stand next to his bed. A confused look came to his face as he murmured under his breath. "Where-?"

Then, he felt a hand press against his chest back down on the bed. A surprised look came on his face as she came over him. Her lips curved into an assured smile. "Don't worry. We're safe." Her hand brushed against his chest. "It's not as if I haven't thought about us going this far…"

As his fingers brushed against his cheek, he smirked again. "You already thought ahead. Smart girl..."

She returned a smile toward him. She tilted her head down and pressed her lips against his. Her lips traveled down his neck to his chest leaving a trail of kisses. She moved down his stomach and teased him before she looked up at him. Vanitas smirked. "You haven't done that before." Aqua smiled at him. Vanitas leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. Her back pressed against the bed as he hovered over her. As they breathed out, their eyes never left each other. He stared at her, taking in the moment. Then, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, gently. His hand caressed along the side of her arm toward her chest. He squeezed the cup of her bra. Several times, his thumb grazed over the fabric and skin. He traced along the edges toward the straps and pulled them further down her arms.

She lifted a little off of the bed as his hand began to unhook her bra. She grinned toward him. "Need some help?" she joked.

As soon as she asked, he already loosened the hooks. He smirked at her. "You were saying?" He tossed the piece of fabric aside. Vanitas sat up in front of her. He unzipped her skirt and removed her underwear. For a moment, he stopped to take in the view in front of him.

Surprised, she looked up at him. "What…?" she whispered. His eyes scanned along as her body which made her nervous and slightly embarrassed. Her arms crossed over her chest and stomach. "What is it…?"

A half smirk, half smile spread across his lips. "You're all mine." Soon, he loosened his belt and pants and tossed them to the floor. Afterwards, he leaned in. His lips began to kiss her neck as his hand grabbed the side of her leg. Aqua closed her eyes. Her heavy breathing changed to moans as she could feel him caress the center of breasts. Slowly, Vanitas's mind faded into the background as his body took control. He replaced one of his hands with his mouth and stroked the aroused, pink mound with his tongue. Her head dug deeper into his pillow as she breathed out. Her fingertips brushed on the edge of the pillow she laid on. His free hand traveled further down between her legs. The tip of his index finger rubbed her.

"Hm." A deep gasp escaped from her lips at his touch. Overwhelming pleasure spread throughout her whole being with each stroke. She grabbed onto the pillow. Her lips parted as her eyes closed tight. It became harder to contain her cries. No longer was her body in control of itself. It was unlike anything she had ever experience. This had become her new euphoria. Her back arched. Her legs squeezed both sides of his waist. It was too much, but he didn't relent. Sounds she didn't know she could make escaped her. It became music to his ears. Her hands tightly grabbed onto whatever they could on his bed. She cried out louder as she felt something deep inside of her ready to release. Finally, her body gave in. She could feel the warm liquid from inside of her seeping out from between her legs. Her hand moved his away which caused him stop. Breath escaped her as she floated back to reality. After a few minutes, her body calmed down and relaxed against the bed.

Vanitas leaned over her as she rested. A smirk appeared on his lips. "I'm glad I didn't try this the one day we were in your room. Your mom really would've come back in."

She smiled nervously as she blushed through the darkness. She couldn't believe how loud she had gotten. Never had she felt something so intense. "Sorry..."

He kissed her and smirked. "Be as loud as you want. Nobody's here."

She rolled her eyes as she grinned. "Well not that loud so that the whole neighborhood can hear."

He arched his eyebrow. The thought was interesting to him. Playfully, he leaned toward her ear. "I would like to hear that," he whispered. In the darkness, more red rushed to her face. Vanitas sat up as he smirked proudly. "Besides, I like the way you sound. You'll be calling out my name next." Playfully, she pushed her hand against his chest. Soon, their smiles died down as they thought about what would come next. "You ready?"

Nervously, she nodded. "Yeah…" she whispered. Vanitas removed his boxers and tossed them on the floor. He placed his hands on top of her knees as he spread her legs apart. Below, he could see the nervous look on her face. A different idea came to mind. He laid her body on top of her body skin to skin. "What-?" Her eyes lowered to a close as she was interrupted by his lips capturing hers. More, she became to relax as she was with him. His hand traveled back and forth along her body. Her skin felt soft underneath him. The same feeling of desire began to return. He tilted his head within the crook of her neck and kissed her skin. "Vanitas-?"

"Relax." He lifted off of her a little. "I can't have you tighten on me." He reached down and positioned himself. A smirk curved at his lips near her neck. "Otherwise… how else will you let me come in?" he whispered seductively.

"A-Ah…" She gasped as she felt his hard member fill her insides. The sensation caught him by surprise. He breathed out. He felt pleasure from just being inside her. More, he pressed himself inside of her. As he closed his eyes, he cursed under his breath. Before, he imagined how good it would feel to be inside of her, but now, he realized it paled in comparison to what he thought.

Below, he noticed Aqua with her eyes closed tight. A few times, he slowly thrusted into her. She closed her eyes tight as her arms wrapped around his back. "Say it." Her eyes opened to see a serious look on his face. "Say the word and I'll stop." At that moment, she realized that he was willing to stop if she needed him to. A few times, she shook her head. It was a point they needed to get pass. Vanitas tilted his head down and kissed her to ease her pain. He caressed her body and pressed in a little faster to help. Minutes in, another feeling rose inside of her. A sigh left her lips. He lifted himself up from her. "You okay now?"

She nodded a few times. "Yeah."

He thrusted into her again. His head leaned in toward her ear. His moans became more audible. The overwhelming sensation had taken over his whole body. His hands tightened against the sheets. Vanitas closed his eyes tight as he tried not to release yet, but it was becoming too much to hold back. He thrusted harder which Aqua cried out. "Aqua…" His mind faded completely into the background as he felt his end. "Ah… I… I lo-." Words he whispered from his lips to her ears that he managed to get out. With one last groan, he released what was inside of him. His movements slowed to a stop as his body twitched from inside of her.

Soon, they both calmed down slowly as they continued to breathe hard. Vanitas tried hard not to collapse and managed to support himself on his arms. It felt as if his legs had given out on him. He moved over toward the side and laid on his stomach with his eyes closed to catch his breath. After he relaxed somewhat, Vanitas wrapped his arms around Aqua's chest. This night was better than he had imagined. After a few minutes passed, Aqua opened her eyes. She noticed that things had grown quiet. "Vanitas…?" She looked over to see Vanitas asleep, breathing softly. It surprised her that he was asleep so fast. Not ready to leave his side yet, she pulled the covers over her body and her eyes lowered to a close. Her mind reflected over what happened between them. Shortly after, she fell asleep beside him.

* * *

After an hour had passed, Aqua opened her eyes to the darkness surrounding her. Her eyes shifted over to Vanitas lying asleep beside her. She could feel warmth coming off of his body next to her arm. The tips of her fingers brushed gently against his cheek. The expression on his face seemed peaceful, but vulnerable. It was rare to see this side of him. Then, a small smile crossed her lips. After she thought about what happened, she didn't regret that moment of being with him. Deciding to let him sleep, she slipped from beside him. Her movement caused his face to scrunch. When he looked over, he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed getting ready. After she got dressed, she was about to stand up, but suddenly felt a hand grab onto her arm. She looked back to see Vanitas leaning over staring back at her. She noticed that his hair was a little messy as there was a frown on her face. "Where are you going?"

She looked over calm. "I was going home." His hand slid down to her fingers, holding onto them. His eyes traveled along the bed. At that moment, she could tell something was on his mind. "What is it?" He let go of her hand and turned away from her. She leaned on her arm that she placed on the bed. "Come on… You owe me that much."

On edge, he kept his body turned away from hers. "I thought you were staying… he murmured.

At first, she looked surprised, but then she smiled. Something about his pouting seemed cute at that moment. At the same time, she was glad that he opened up to her. She leaned against him with her head on his arm as she smiled playfully. "Staying…?"

He frowned as he looked away from her. "…with me?"

Silently she grinned. Then, she placed her hand on his arm and pulled him toward her. He looked into her eyes as she smiled at him. "Did you really think I would say no?"

Vanitas pulled her down into the bed with him. Aqua leaned against his chest. The smile on her face made him happy. She noticed a smile seeping through his smirk more. "So? Will you stay here tonight?"

Aqua nodded. "Of course." She sat up. "Just let me go back to my house first. I just need my parents to think I'm still there."

Vanitas sat up on his elbows as he smirked. "Sounds like you got this all planned out."

Aqua rested her hands on her knees as she looked back. "Maybe… I wanted to stay here with you too." Vanitas let out a calm half smile, half smirk. Sounded as if she planned to stay all along whereas he almost believed the opposite. A small blush came to her face as she turned her head away from him. "After all…we did…share something special."

Behind her, his eyes traveled down as he let out a secret smile. Before she stood up, he grabbed onto her hand. Aqua looked back curious to see the serious look on his face. "You okay?"

The question surprised her that he seemed concerned, but she nodded as she smiled a little. "Yeah," she replied gently. "You?"

Vanitas let out a smirk. "Better." Aqua stood up. Vanitas followed afterwards and put on his boxers and pants. They walked downstairs to the front door. Vanitas grabbed her hand which she looked back and smiled. She leaned in and kissed his lips. "Don't get caught." Afterwards, he opened the door and she walked out. She looked back at him one more time before she headed toward her house. He closed the door after. While he was alone, Vanitas turned on the warm water and stepped into the shower. Relaxed, his eyes lowered to a close. A smile curved at his lips. As he ran his fingers through his hair, thoughts of her consumed his mind.

At home, things were dark still from when she left. Aqua walked into the bathroom and changed out of her clothes. Warm water hit her body as she stepped into the bath. Right away, she felt relaxed as she let herself sink into the water up to her neck. Her eyes lowered to a close. As silence covered the room, she thought about the boy across the way and what happened between them. In the end, she was happy about it. Then, something else came to mind that she remembered that made her curious. It would be something she would definitely have to bring up to him later...

Soon after she was done, she returned back to her room to get dressed. It surprised her that her parents weren't home yet, but it was the perfect opportunity to leave without them seeing her. She changed into some blue shorts, a white short-sleeved shirt and a matching blue jacket to wear over it. She grabbed some clothes from her drawer. The plan was to make it seem like someone was sleeping in her bed. Suddenly, downstairs, she heard the sound of a door open. It must've been her parents. It was then she decided to come up with a different plan.

"Aqua?" Her mother opened her bedroom door and peeked inside. "Aqua." Then her mother looked surprised. She noticed there was something buried under her covers. "Aqua," she whispered. When she peeled the covers back, she saw Aqua with her eyes closed with her arms near her head, asleep in her white shirt.

Her husband stepped by her side and placed his arm on her shoulder. "Let her sleep. We'll see her in the morning."

They turned and walked away. Her mother looked over surprised. "I'm just surprised that she had gone to bed this early."

"Maybe she's had a long day. You know how her practices can get." They closed the door behind them.

As soon as they were further down the hall, Aqua grabbed her clothes and finished stuffing her bed. She grabbed her backpack of the stuff she packed for the next day and placed it on her back. Afterwards, she climbed out of her window. Aqua walked back over to Vanitas's house and knocked on the door, hoping that no one had come back already. To her relief, Vanitas opened the door with a towel wrapped around his shoulders and sweatpants that hung at his waist. Once he saw her, he let out a smirk. Happy, she jumped in. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss which caught him by surprise. Soon, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her waist. As the two stayed in a long, sensual kiss, he kicked the door closed behind him. He walked forward as she walked back. Her back pressed against the couch as his body came over hers. After they parted, she smirked toward him a little as she placed her hands on the sides of his face. "You're a bad influence. This almost got me caught."

He smirked back. "Then it's going to have to stay that way." Playfully, he leaned in and kissed her again. Then, he stood up from the couch and held out his hand toward her. She smiled as she got up. Both of them walked upstairs. The whole time he held her hand. Aqua dropped her stuff off in his room as Vanitas closed the door behind him. He walked over and kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her closer to him. After a few minutes, he separated from her and smirked. "Wanna go again?"

Aqua looked surprised. They both knew that the second time was supposed to be better. She leaned in and kissed him. He took it as a yes. Vanitas grabbed onto hips and lifted her up. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. The two parted lips as they stared at each other with a smile. She fell back against his bed as she grinned. Vanitas leaned over her. Aqua opened her eyes. He was about to lean in and kiss her when she pressed her finger to his lips. "There's something I want to ask you."

Confusion became written on his face as Vanitas stared at her. "Can it wait till later?" he groaned.

"It's something I need to know." Impatiently, he sighed as he sat up and sat on the bed. She sat up beside him. Her eyes glanced toward the bed before she lifted her eyes to his. "If I remember right… you were saying something while we were together, but…you didn't finish. What were you trying to say?"

Vanitas frowned. "I didn't say anything. You sure you just didn't make it up?"

"I remember. It was "I lo-.", but you never finished it. What were you trying to say?" A little nervous, she looked toward him as she kicked her feet back and forth. "Usually when someone starts something like that, it sounds like…they're saying…maybe…" Gently, she smiled toward him. "…I love you."

"What?!" Vanitas's eyes widened in confusion as he stared back into hers. On edge, his head turned away from her along with his eyes. He could feel her waiting for an answer. He wondered if he had really said that and when. After he thought about it, he remembered. She really had heard what he said. "I was…just caught up in the moment..."

Aqua turned his head so that their eyes could meet. "But was it true…?" Behind his eyes, she could see that he was vulnerable. She knew things were hard for him after everything he had gone through, but she would still try to find a way to get through to him. She looked concerned. "What did you think I was going to say when you told me?"

Vanitas shrugged as he looked off to the side. "I don't know..."

Aqua smiled a little. "Maybe I would've said that same thing." Gently she caressed his face. She tilted her head so that he would look at her. "Would you believe me…?" He sat up from her as he breathed out frustrated through his nose and looked away from her. Aqua's eyes followed him. "Vanitas-?"

He looked down upset. "Just drop it…"

She started to get more concerned. "No! Is it really that hard to believe that someone could actually care for you?" Vanitas didn't answer. "You know… I was afraid too…" Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that she had his attention. Her eyes traveled along the floor. "I don't understand. You're-."

"No one can love someone so messed up." As he spoke, he thought through his life until now. It seemed like everything he did was wrong.

She looked concerned. "Vanitas… Did someone… say that to you?" Uneasy, his eyes traveled toward the side. Aqua shook her head. "That's not true."

"I've been called monster, a freak, worthless…" his voice faded off.

She stood up and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I've never thought that."

He looked over at her. "Even you have…once."

Aqua looked down as she thought back. Then, she remembered a time when she had lost his temper with him. "Hmm… I was really upset with you because you broke something that belong to Ven. That was a long time ago when we were kids. I'm sorry. I should have known you were hurting too." A slight chuckle escaped as she thought back. She placed her finger to her lips. "You can be a lot of trouble. That much is true."

He arched his eyebrow as he looked down serious. "Thanks…"

She wrapped her arm around his arm. "But you're clever and really smart and…even if others might not see it, really caring. Not a lot of people would've done what you had. While some things you've done weren't the right thing, you did it for a good reason. Your family is still here because of you." Her eyes lowered. "And you saved my life." Before he could speak, she beat him to what he would say. "And yes, I know… You told me to stay out of it." Vanitas let out a sigh. "If that is what people want to say about you then…" She pressed herself against him. "…that's what I choose to be in love with." Surprised, he breathed in once he heard those words. She stared into his eyes as she smiled at him. "I love you too…Vanitas." When he searched her eyes, she seemed sincere. She kept smiling. He felt his heart tightened, but this time in a good way. Her words had finally reached him. His eyes traveled over toward the side. He realized he worried over nothing. She leaned over. "Did you hear what I said? I love you."

A smirk escaped from her lips. "I heard you the first time." Before she could speak, he leaned over and kissed her. Her eyes widened in surprised. Soon, they lowered to a close. This time, their kiss was different. It felt more sensual and connected. It almost felt like their first kiss. After some time, they parted as they breathed softly and pressed their foreheads together. The two relaxed a little. "I'll get settled then. Where…?" she whispered.

Vanitas lightly grabbed her zipper and pulled it down. She watched as he slid her jacket down her shoulders. His fingers grabbed onto the edges of her white shirt. She raised her arms as he lifted it over her head.

XXX

As he pressed his lips to hers, his body leaned forward as she leaned back. She could feel the warmth of his skin against her own. Her knees squeezed in at his sides. His lips traveled from her neck toward her chest. She breathed out as she closed her eyes. The same sensation from before had returned to her. After she felt the touch of his hands over her chest, she felt him leave toward her stomach as his body slid further down. He placed kisses along her stomach near her bellybutton. His fingers grabbed onto the edges of her shorts as he traveled further down and slid them off of her legs.

As she relaxed, she became a little curious. He bent her legs up with the back of her heel pointed toward her hips and spread them further apart. Vanitas kneeled down with his knees to the floor as he looked focused. Soon, he leaned in. Slowly, he moved his tongue between her legs, against her sensitive area. Instantly, she closed her eyes as she turned her head toward the side and she breathed out. She could a slight jolt throughout her body. He stroked her once more. She closed her eyes tight. Heat flooded her face as she sighed. The sensation was stronger than last. His tongue swirled around the small, swollen spot. The more he continued, the more it drove her body insane. Her body began to move without control. She tried not to let her leg cave in, but it was hard to resist the overwhelming sensation. Still, he remained relentless. He grabbed onto her legs to keep them spread and her hips pinned down. "Ahh...!" She could no longer contain her cries. Her hand brushed against his hair as she searched for something to hold onto to. "Va-Vanitas…" As her body shook, her back arched and her eyes closed tight. With one last moan, he sent her over the edge again.

Tired, her hands removed his hands from her legs. She turned her body toward the side as she closed her eyes. The sides of her arms pressed against her chest. Vanitas smirked a little and crawled on the bed over her. A smug smirk appeared. "You called?" He leaned in toward her face. "Don't tell me that you're done already…" he whispered. His hand brushed against her arm which caused her body to shudder. "We haven't gotten to the best part yet." As he waited for her to catch her breath, he lied down beside her and watched her. He smiled, amused. He liked seeing her this way. Once she rested a little, she sat up beside him. His fingers grabbed onto her chin. "I hope they didn't hear you next door," he joked.

She pouted a little. "If they did, it would've been your fault…"

He chuckled a little. "What? You don't want anyone to hear how good I am at making you-."

Aqua pushed him down onto the bed as she crawled over him. She shook her head as she sighed. These moments were already going to his head. The move caught him by surprise, but it didn't lessen his smirk. She pressed her body against his as she kissed him. His arms wrapped around her body as they both relaxed. His hand brushed along her back and hips. After some time, he switched them over. He intended to take her fully. Both of their hands went on the edge of his sweatpants and slid them further down his legs. Once he was settled, he grabbed both of her legs and bent them at his waist. His body leaned against hers as their lips met. His hand caressed her breasts as he rocked his hips against hers. Her hand slid further along the side of his waist toward his hips.

Suddenly, he let out blissful sigh as he closed his eyes. A sensation he hadn't felt from her before. He turned his attention toward her as he smirked. "Well…" He noticed the playful smile on her face and wondered what she was up to. It wasn't long before her teasing started to get to him. Vanitas breathed out as he closed his eyes. Her thumb continued to rub against his member. It made him feel more turned on. His desire for her only grew. She wrapped her hand around him and began to stroke. Vanitas closed his eyes as he let out a groan. He enjoyed the feel of her hand on him. Then, he reached down and took her hand away.

Aqua looked surprised. "Why did you stop me?"

Vanitas smirked a little at her. "Because I know how this can feel a lot better." He leaned over and kissed her. His body nested between her legs. As their lips parted, his eyes searched hers. Then, an uneasy look came to his face as he looked toward the side.

It made her curious. "What is it?" His lips tried to speak, but no words come out. The words he wanted to say weighed heavily against his chest. Gently, she placed her hands on his cheek. "It's okay," she assured him. His eyes met hers. A gentle smile appeared on her lips. "I love you," she whispered. His eyes widened a little. He was sure that she wanted to hear the same words from him, but he didn't understand why she stopped him. Her lips curved more for comfort. "You don't have to force it. You'll say it when you're ready." She poked her index finger against his chest. "Until then, I know deep down that you do." His eyes traveled from her hand to her eyes.

A smirk came across Vanitas's lips. There was a confident look on her face. He could tell that she was being patient with him which set his mind at ease. He moved his body more over hers as he pressed his lips to hers again. A deep gasp escaped from her lips once she felt him enter inside her. Aqua's hands wrapped around his shoulders. Breath escaped from Vanitas's lips as he closed his eyes. It was easier than before to slide in. He started out slowly, but soon he picked up speed. Aqua's arms and legs wrapped around him tightly as she moaned. Both of them closed their eyes. She moaned as her fingertips dug into the muscles in his back. Aqua arched her back, feeling his chest rub against hers. "Vani…" she whispered. With one last breath, they both slowed to a stop. Things turned quiet as they separated and settled in under the covers.

* * *

A few minutes, Vanitas looked down below him. Aqua was asleep against his chest as she was breathing softly. His fingers brushed aside her blue bangs. She seemed so calm and peaceful. It didn't seem like anything could wake her up at that moment. He pressed her closer toward him. As he watched her, a warm feeling dwell in his chest. It was still hard to believe that things worked out like it had. While they were alone, he felt genuinely happy. She had become his light. Aqua scrunched her face and turned over on her side. As she slept, he snuggled in beside her and buried his face within the crook of her neck. Silently, he whispered toward her ear. As he predicted, she didn't wake to hear what he said. Soon, a tired feeling came over him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and fell asleep beside her.

The morning after, Vanitas moved a little in his sleep. Morning light shined through his window. With his eyes closed, he reached over. When he felt around the bed, his face scrunched in confusion. Slowly, he opened his eyes as he let out a slight groan. Beside him, he noticed that the bed was empty with only him in it. Quickly, he sat up to see if Aqua was still somewhere in the room, but no one was there but him. Vanitas looked down at his bed as he wondered why she had already left. Then, he looked over toward his night stand and noticed a white, folded up note. Curious, he reached over and grabbed it. His eyes traveled along the page...

At the school's baseball field, Aqua knocked the ball away and ran the bases. She slid into second as she kicked up dust. She heard a few cheers from the stands. She stood up and dusted herself off as she let out a sigh. _"It would be a lot easier running if I weren't so sore."_ Nearby, she watched as the next batter came up to hit. While she waited, a thought popped into mind. The memory of the night before made a smile cross her lips. Before, she kept her feelings inside, afraid of how Vanitas might react, but now she was able to see how he felt. It made her happy that he was able for him to open up and she was able to connect more to Vanitas.

"Aqua!" Aqua snapped out of her thoughts after she heard Rikku's voice. She looked over to see Rikku wave rapidly toward her. "Run!" She could hear the rest of her teammates yell as well. She ran to the next base before she could be tapped with the ball. Afterwards she stood up and dusted herself off again. As the game continued, Vanitas stepped in near the fence. He leaned against it as he crossed his arms curious. From afar, he spotted Aqua focused on the game. He let out a smirk. It didn't surprise him that she was already up and doing something school related. He watched the remainder of the game until it was over.

After it was over, Aqua grabbed her stuff and started walking back home. When she looked up, she became surprised. Right in front of her was the person who she was hoping to see when she got back. Instantly, Aqua smiled. He must've gotten her message. As much as she didn't want to leave him this morning, she couldn't get out of today's game. Vanitas stood with his hands in his pockets. The half-smile, half-smirk never left his face. Happy, Aqua ran over toward him. "Hey!"

"Hey," he replied.

She rubbed his neck as she smiled nervously. "Sorry... I didn't want to leave this morning."

"Hmm… Too bad. I think it would've been nicer staying in bed this morning."

She grinned. "I couldn't agree more." He took her bag from her and placed it over his shoulder. At first, she was surprised, but then she smiled. "Thanks!" With his other hand, he grabbed her hand. The gentle smile grew on her lips as she noticed his smile. Together they walked toward home.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon! Pretty soon, there will be a little break with "The Other Side of the Fence" and I'll be switching to the next story "Sibling Rivalry"!  
_


	13. The Other Side: A Tearing Pain

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 12: A Tearing Pain:_

The sun's rays shone through Vanitas's window. His eyes scrunched up from the bright light. Slowly, he opened his eyes as he groaned. When he sat up, his eyes widened. He saw a beautiful figure that stood nearby. The light shined brightly on the white, buttoned up, short sleeved shirt she wore. The skin on her legs glowed. She used her hand to lightly brush her light blue hair. He couldn't help but give a half-smile, half-smirk at the sight. Soon, Aqua turned around. Once she saw that Vanitas was awake, she became surprised. He kept his smirk on. "Morning."

Aqua let out a nervous smile. "Morning." She walked over and sat down on the bed in front of him. "I better get going. We got to get ready for school." Vanitas sighed with his eyes. He rather stayed in bed with her than go. She was about to get up, but he grabbed her arm and laid her beside him. She looked over at him. "I can't believe you got me to sleep over here when it's a school day. We agreed only on the weekends if we could."

He leaned his head on his hand. "I like when you sleep here."

She smiled. "Once senior year is over, we can stay with each other more than this." Vanitas turned over on his back as he placed his hands behind his head. Aqua looked over at him curious. "You have thought about school, haven't you?" Vanitas didn't answer. As she sat up, he didn't look at her. Inside, it worried her. For now, she decided to let it go. "I'll see you before we leave for school okay?"

"Okay..." he muttered.

Later that morning, Aqua and Vanitas walked toward the school hand in hand. Along the way, Vanitas thought about what Aqua said before. After listening to her words over and over in his head, he let out a groan. He felt that he owed her answer either because she would ask again or they would have to figure something out at some point. "Fine woman. You win."

Aqua looked over confused. "Won what?"

He sighed. "I haven't really thought…you know… about going to some school..."

Aqua grabbed his arm with her other hand. She leaned in close to him. She was a little concerned, but knew it was his choice. Then, she smiled. "Well it's up to you what you really want to do, but Vanitas, you're really smart."

Vanitas rolled his eyes to the side. "Don't let the other people in the school know it though..."

She nudged him in the side. "Don't worry. I won't ruin your reputation…" she assured him, dully. "But don't count yourself short. You know and I know that you're smart. I mean really smart. You could do whatever you wanted to." He couldn't help but smile a little at her comment. Afterwards, Aqua gave him a stern glare. "But there's no way you're staying around the house while I work unless you can learn how to cook." Vanitas stopped as he arched his eyebrow as Aqua walked ahead of him. When she noticed that he wasn't beside her, she turned around and looked back at him confused because of the smirk on his face. "What?"

Vanitas stood with his arms crossed before he walked over to her. "We just got back together and you're already thinking about our future?"

Aqua glanced down nervously. The words just left from her without thinking. She shrugged. "Well um…? It was just a thought."

Vanitas thought it was cute how nervous she got. He grabbed her hand. Both of them started walking again. He gave her a playful smirk. "I'll learn how to cook as long as you don't come home tired every night."

She pouted toward him. "Hey! I get to stay home sometimes too!"

They continued walking until they were outside of their classroom. Slowly, they let go of each other's hand before they walked inside. Aqua sat at her desk first and looked back as Vanitas sat at his. They smiled at each other and continued through class until lunch. Once the teacher dismissed them, instantly, Aqua stood up and walked out of the door before Rikku, Paine, and Yuna noticed. When they pulled their desks together in front of hers like they usually did, they looked surprised. There was no sign of her. "Where did she go?" Yuna asked.

They looked over and seen Terra coming toward them. Rikku waved at him a little. "Hey Terra? How you seen Aqua?"

He shook his head. "No." Rikku sighed. "Actually I was about to ask you the same question." Rikku and Yuna gave a surprised look. "I just wanted to talk to her."

Rikku placed her hand on her side as she smiled. "All right. Enough with the secrecy. Aqua won't tell us who her boyfriend is, but we already know."

Yuna looked concerned beside her. "Rikku…"

Terra stood confused at what she was talking about. Rikku held her hand out to her side in a shrug. She closed her eyes as she smiled. "I don't know why she just won't tell us that it's you."

He was a little taken back by her assumption. He held up his hand. "Wait! I'm not her boyfriend."

Instantly, Rikku opened her eyes surprised. "What?"

"Actually, I haven't spoken to her since the dance. I wanted to make sure she was okay since then. She just took off." Rikku stood stunned as Yuna wondered what was going on. Terra could see that they didn't know where Aqua was so he decided to find her later. He smiled a little. "If you find her, let me know." He walked away, leaving them both curious with their own questions.

Outside, Aqua and Vanitas sat under a tree in the shade with their lunch in hand. They decided to spend more time together during school. Aqua looked down at her sandwich after they finished talking. "Hey Vanitas?"

Curious, he looked over. "Yeah?" he asked with food in his mouth.

Nervously, she glanced between the ground and him. "Can I ask you a favor...?"

He swallowed his food and smirked as he leaned over toward her. "Does it involve me, you, and my room?"

Aqua smiled a little as she shook her head a little at his guess. "Yes, yes, and _no_ ," she stressed the last part. She looked over at him and tilted her head. "I want this to be over. What other people think about you. They don't know you like I know you so…I want you to meet my friends."

Vanitas sighed with his eyes closed. Mostly, he relieved she didn't say her parents. "I guess..."

Aqua smiled nervously. "And… my parents."

His head fell back against the tree hard once he heard her say that. "Ow…!"

She looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he spoke lowly. This just got harder for him to handle.

She closed her eyes. "I know, but I don't want the same thing to happen again between us when we split apart."

He held his head down. He didn't want the same thing to happen again either. "I know..." Then, he lifted his head. If he wanted to stay with her for a long time, then he was going to have to go through it eventually. "Fine..."

She smiled. "Thank you." She leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips.

Vanitas smiled after that. "I wanted to ask if you wanted to stay over Friday night?"

Aqua looked down. "I don't know..."

He smiled. "You don't have anything to do this Saturday and we can be alone that morning." She looked at him surprised. Seeing her expression, he decided to answer her unspoken question. "My mom has to leave and Ventus is leaving to go spend time with Sora and Roxas."

She grinned. "Oh yeah! You don't mention them so much that I almost forgot that Sora and Roxas were your brothers. Shouldn't you spend some time with them too?"

Vanitas placed his hands behind his head as he looked up. "Let's see... Spend the day with a bunch of dorks or spend it with a hot girl? Hmm…"

Aqua nudged him in the side for calling them names. "Be nice. They're your brothers."

Vanitas frowned. "Half-brothers..." he corrected her. He closed his eyes. "I still rather spend it with you."

She smiled a little as she closed her eyes. "Fine."

* * *

"I'm getting ready to leave mom!" Ventus stopped at the front door of his house. His hand was on the door knob.

His mom turned to him as she was stood in the kitchen. "All right! Have fun! Also, if you see Vanitas-." Then, the two notice him walk down the stairs as he rubbed the back of his head as he wore just long sweatpants. "Just in time. Are you sure you're not going with Ventus today?"

Vanitas closed his eyes a little irritated. "No."

She gave him a serious stare. "Don't forget to do all the stuff around the house I told you to do."

"Yeah..." Vanitas replied.

"Food's on the table. I have to go." Ventus and their mother walked out of the door which made Vanitas happy. It was finally Saturday so he could spend as much time as he wanted to with Aqua. He headed back upstairs to his room.

Inside, Aqua was still asleep on her side, turned away from him. She wore his white t-shirt and her underwear to sleep in. He smiled as he leaned in the doorway, taking in the view. He loved when she wore his shirts. He walked in toward her. He leaned over her and kissed her cheek. "Hey. Wake up."

She groaned. She rolled over on her back. Slowly, she woke up. "What...?"

He grinned. "We have the house to ourselves." She closed her eyes and ignored him as she turned back on her side. He wouldn't let her go back to sleep that easily. After a few minutes of trying to get her to wake up, she did. She sat up and walked toward the bathroom after he told her that no one was home.

After she came back, she saw Vanitas sitting on his bed. She walked over and joined him. "So? You wanna eat first or…" He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. She smiled. "I knew it. It was your plan all along so you got me to come over here."

"So? What if it was?" She shook her head.

Sometime later, Ventus ran back to his house. _"I can't believe I forgot it. I told them I would bring it."_ He went inside of the house and looked toward the stairs. He took a second to think. _"Now I wonder where did I put it? I know Vanitas has one."_ He didn't want to risk going into Vanitas's room and Vanitas hitting him for it. He could always ask. He headed upstairs toward Vanitas's room. If he was there, he would ask. He wanted to get back over to Sora's and Roxas's house as soon as he could since they were waiting on him.

Inside Vanitas's room, Vanitas lied against the bed as Aqua came over him. "I like it a lot better when you wear my shirts."

She grinned. "I'm sure you do." She knew the reason why. His hands reached over and lifted her shirt slightly, revealing the middle of her chest and stomach. The smirk on his lips increased. She leaned over and kissed him. A smirk formed on his face as he could feel her body brush against hers. His hand rubbed against her back and moved further toward her side. He slipped under her shirt and caressed her chest.

Outside, Ventus rushed up the stairs. He headed toward Vanitas's room. At first, he wanted to knock, but thought that maybe he was sleeping. There was no sound he heard from his room. If he was asleep, he could sneak in to get what he needed and if he got caught, he could get yelled at for it later. Taking a chance, he began to open the door until he heard a girl's giggle. Immediately, he stopped, surprised that he would have a girl over. He wasn't aware that Vanitas was involved with anyone. Ventus was curious if he should interrupt and knew Vanitas would get upset with him, but he just wanted to ask one thing. Apart of him also wanted to see who he had with him, though he told himself he shouldn't. Nearby, he heard murmuring. The voice did sound familiar. He peeked inside to see if it was safe for him to go in, but he couldn't see them. He leaned forward, but it was too much. "Ow!" His head knocked against the door as he closed his eyes tight. He placed his hand on top of his head "I'm sorry Vanitas! I just wanted to ask you one thing. I-!" Ventus explained quickly. Once his eyes opened, they widened, stunned. Slowly, he stood up straight. He couldn't believe what he saw.

Vanitas jumped as he cursed out loud. His eyes widened in surprised. Quickly, Aqua moved toward the side of him as she held the covers over her. A scared look came on her face. "Ven!"

It was easy to see what they were up to. Ventus's emotions built in him all at once. Vanitas looked angry. "Don't you know how to knock?!" he yelled across the room. After his body unfroze, Ventus turned and took off. His heart hurt in his chest. She already found someone to be with and it wasn't him. Vanitas dropped his head down as he sighed and cursed under breath. He didn't know what to say to Ventus, but that was the only thing that came to mind.

Aqua looked down disappointed. "He had to find out eventually, but I wished it wasn't this way..." Vanitas shook his head. He stood up and walked forward a few steps. He rubbed the back of his head with his back turned to her. He growled under his breath. Aqua didn't understand. She sat on the edge of the bed. "What is it?"

"I know he's going to hate me now…" Vanitas muttered. It was never his intention to hurt his brother, but he knew it was inevitable.

Aqua placed her shirt back on and stood up behind him. She placed her hand on his shoulders. "Ven won't hate you."

Vanitas turned around toward her as he looked serious. "Yeah he will… He had a little crush on you and I knew that." Aqua looked down along with Vanitas. Her hand baled at her chest. She didn't realize how he felt about her. Now she understood how strained things were between Ventus and Vanitas. Slowly, she took his hand and held it in hers. As she closed her eyes, her head leaned against his shoulder. She stood with him as long as he needed her.

* * *

Ventus stepped near the water on the edge of town. There was no place in particular that he could think to run to. All he knew was he had to get out of there. He was still angry with what he saw. He couldn't believe that Vanitas betrayed him that way. He walked around until he sat down in the sand. He pressed his knees as close as he could toward his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. As he closed his eyes, his head leaned against his knees. A tear escaped from his eyes. The pain was still fresh in his heart and felt heavy to bear. He really thought there was a chance for them.

"Hey!" A few minutes later, he heard a voice. Ventus jumped. He wiped his face with his arm and looked up. Once he recognized who it was, he relaxed a little. He was glad that it wasn't Sora or Roxas. He knew that he was still supposed to meet them. "Are you okay?"

Ventus nodded a few times. "What are you doing out here Terra?"

Terra looked concerned. "I was headed home when I saw you here." His expression soon changed to concerned. He noticed the sad look on Ventus's face "Are you sure you're okay?"

Ventus stood up and nodded. "Yeah…"

An idea came to Terra's mind that might cheer up Ventus. "Hey! Do you want to practice with me? I have a test coming up soon for my next belt."

Ventus looked surprised. "Are you sure? I'm not as high up as you."

Terra stood ready to fight. "It's fine. You'll get there eventually." Terra showed him a few moves he could use in a fight. Ventus smiled as it helped him to get over his sad mood. The two practiced together until they decided to quit. "Wasn't that fun?"

Ventus grinned. "Yeah! That was awesome! I feel like I can take anyone on who tries to fight me! That was pretty cool what you showed me."

Terra laughed a little. "So Ven? You feel better now?"

Slowly, the smile left Ventus's face. He looked down toward the ground. He remembered why he was mad in the first place. "I was…" he muttered.

Terra rubbed the back of his head, feeling bad for bringing it back up. "Sorry. I didn't mean to-."

"It's okay…" Ventus sat down on the ground and Terra followed after. Afterwards, Ventus sighed. "I was mad because of my brother. I had to get away from him."

"Why?" Terra hoped that he wasn't getting too personal asking him. Ventus's eyes lowered. "He…he did something. I don't know if I can forgive him for it."

"Well you should forgive him. He's your brother." Ventus let out a sigh. "Your brother…he's…Vanitas right…?" Reluctantly, Ventus let out a nod. "Right…I think I've seen him with Aqua before." Ventus's lips parted. He knew that Aqua and Terra were close, but didn't think Terra was aware of what was going on. A part of him thought about telling him, but decided not to. Afterwards, Terra stood up.

Ventus followed him. "Do You mind teaching me more of that fighting stuff later?"

Terra nodded. "Sure." Ventus smiled gently which Terra noticed. "What is it?"

Ventus shook his head. "Nothing... I just... wished my brother was more like you." At first, Terra looked surprised, but then smiled. Afterwards, the two went their separate ways. Even though Ventus wasn't ready to go back home yet, he knew he had to eventually. The thought of seeing Vanitas again just made him more upset.

Later toward the night, Ventus opened the door of his house and closed it behind him. He was about to go upstairs when he noticed someone walk down. Instantly, his anger returned to him. Vanitas stopped at the end of the stairs as he continued to stare at him. Silence was the only thing between them. Ventus wanted to go upstairs, but Vanitas blocked the way. Frustrated, Ventus turned around and headed toward the door. "You got to face me eventually Ventus." Ventus growled under his breath and turned back with his head down. "You got something to say?"

"How could you do that to me?" Ventus yelled.

Vanitas kept a serious look on his face. "I would've told you eventually. If you didn't try to sneak in my room today-."

"That's not point! You're sleeping with her!" Afterwards, Ventus held his head down, both physically and emotional exhausted. He wasn't usually one for yelling. Vanitas didn't deny it to make him feel better. Ventus leaned against the door with his hand to his head. He kept his eyes closed. "You're just going to end up hurting her." Vanitas looked upset. Ventus opened his eyes and stared toward the floor. "You knew how I felt about her..."

Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "And what makes you think that I don't feel the same way about her?"

Ventus looked upset. "Because you don't care about anyone but yourself!"

Vanitas looked angry. "Look! She chose me! If you wanted to, you should've stepped up a long time ago! I'm not going to give her up because of you! Just get over it."

Ventus became angrier. "Move out of the way!" He walked toward Vanitas, but he had refused to move. "I said move!"

Vanitas still refused. "Not until you accept it. She's mine and you're too late."

Ventus's fist shook beside him. "I won't forgive you for this!"

Vanitas calmed down a little. "Ven-." Suddenly, Vanitas felt a fist come to his face that had made his head turn. Ventus's reaction stunned him. Ventus glared at him before he walked upstairs. Vanitas straightened himself back up as he rubbed his cheek. He couldn't believe that Ventus hit him.

Later, Vanitas sat on Aqua's bed. She sat down beside him and pressed an icepack against his cheek. "You don't have to do that."

"Well I don't want it to swell." Aqua said concerned. Ventus's hit didn't hurt compared to what he felt in the past, but she was still afraid of it leaving a bruise.

Vanitas looked forward serious. "He said exactly what I knew he was going to."

Aqua leaned over to face him. "He's not going to forgive you?"

He looked over as much as he could as she pressed the icepack against his cheek more. "He thinks I stole his girl." Aqua stood up as she frowned and flicked his forehead. "Ow! What was that for?!"

She stood in front of him and placed her hands on her sides. "I'm not just someone that can be taken. You two need to settle this and not let it come between you." Aqua sat down and pressed the bag hard against his cheek which he closed his eyes tight. "You two are brothers and if I didn't know anymore better, you two can act alike. I had no idea how Ven felt nor did I know how you felt about me until I forced it out of you."

"I had a good reason," Vanitas replied.

Aqua rolled her eyes. "Yeah. You didn't think I could like you. That's still no excuse." Vanitas looked down. He knew she was right. She pulled up his hand. "Hold this."

Vanitas did as she said and held the icepack to his cheek. "I really don't need this you know."

Aqua stood up. "The last thing you need is your mom asking questions. We haven't told anybody about us."

Vanitas moved the icepack and rubbed his cheek. It was too freezing cold for him to notice any pain if there was any left. "The little midget punched me harder than I thought."

Aqua punched him in the shoulder which he looked surprised. It actually hurt his shoulder. "What was that for?" he raised his voice.

"Be nice to your brother." She started heading toward her door.

He looked confused. "Where are you going?"

She looked back. "I'm going to go talk to Ven."

Surprised, he stood up. He walked toward her. "You don't have to talk to him for me. I can do it."

She made him sit back down. "I'm handling it this time. Besides, he's really angry at you right now." Vanitas sat back down as Aqua walked out of the room. Afterwards, Vanitas sighed with his eyes closed. Aqua walked over next door and knocked on the door. Ventus walked downstairs as he wondered who could be coming over at night. Once he opened the door, he looked down. "May I come in?"

Ventus refused to look up at her. He stepped to the side to let her in and closed the door behind her. "Ven…first of all, I wanna say I'm sorry for what happened this morning." She looked toward the side. "That's not the way I wanted you to find out."

Ventus walked toward the kitchen. "Yeah, but I bet it's the way Vanitas wanted me to know."

She stepped in closer toward the table. "Ven… Vanitas didn't want you to find out that way either."

He looked over at her skeptical. "Oh really? That's what he told you."

Aqua placed her hand toward her chest. "Listen. Vanitas feels bad for what he did."

Ventus looked away from her upset. "That's why he sent you over here?"

"It was my choice. I told Vanitas to stay where he was."

"So Vanitas came running to you didn't he, right after what happened?"

"You should apologize for hitting him like that. He was trying to say he was sorry."

Ventus wanted to laugh. He knew his brother better than that. "Ha! He just wanted to brag that he finally got you especially in his bed."

"I didn't know you felt that way about me," she said quietly.

That brought silence to Ventus. Then, he looked down. "It doesn't matter now…" he muttered. He turned away from her.

She didn't want to hurt him, but he had to understand. "I care about your brother a lot." At this point, Ventus didn't want to listen. He kept his back turned toward her as he sighed a little. "I'm sorry that you got hurt. Is there anything we can do to make things up between the two of you again?"

"He knew how I felt..." he whispered.

Aqua looked down. "I know and he felt bad for what happened."

Ventus shook his head. "No he doesn't or he wouldn't have gotten with you!"

Aqua was a little surprised at how selfish he was being. "Ven…" She let out a frown. "So Vanitas was just supposed to give up just to give you a chance? Isn't that selfish on your part?" Ven looked toward the side, upset. "I still want to be your friend Ven." Saying that felt like a stab to his heart. "Please forgive Vanitas. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you either."

Ventus shook his head. "How long?"

Aqua looked down. She counted the time before they separated. "A few months. Listen. I want things to work out between the two of you."

He arched his eyebrow. "Why?"

Aqua smiled a little. "Because you're his family."

Ventus shrugged. "So?"

"And we might be together for a long time."

He was a little surprised but mostly upset. He turned to her. "You? Staying with Vanitas for a long time?"

She looked down nervously. "Well…I love your brother and he loves me back. I want him to be happy and I know he would want the same."

He leaned his hands on the counter. "That doesn't make me happy. Obviously, you're going to stay on his side and say I was wrong."

Aqua looked down. "I'm not on anyone's side."

"If you love him like you say you do, then of course you're going to be on his side."

"Ven. I admit we were both wrong for hiding it from you, but you can't keep blaming Vanitas."

He placed his hand against his chest. "Did you even once think about me?"

Aqua looked away. "Hmm…"

"Did you care about me at all?"

"Ven! I do care, but I don't have feelings for you like that. I never did." She looked sad. "The only person I ever cared about like that was your brother."

Ventus looked angry. "Then get out and go back to him. I don't need either of you anymore."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Don't say that!"

"Just leave me alone! Get out!" he yelled. She was taken back by his tone of voice. "I won't forgive either of you."

"Ven stop it!"

"Aqua! Just leave me alone! Go away! I don't have anything else to say to you or him! Now go!" He pointed toward the door. Aqua was still stunned. She decided to leave Ventus alone. Her eyes lowered. She turned and walked out.

When she returned back to her room, Vanitas noticed right away the sad look on her face. She sat down beside him. "I guess it didn't work out?"

Quietly, Aqua shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Vanitas wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "I couldn't care less if he forgives me. It's you or nothing else." Aqua looked down and leaned her head on his shoulders. At this point, there wasn't much they could do.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	14. The Other Side: Impression

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for reading! I hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 13: Impression:_

Patiently, Rikku, Paine, and Yuna sat at a round table, outside of a restaurant as they looked bored. Rikku glanced at her watch as her head rest on her hand. "What's taking Aqua so long?"

Yuna placed her hands in her lap. "Aqua told us to meet her here so I'm sure she won't be long."

"Sorry we're late!" Behind them, Aqua headed toward their direction as Vanitas followed behind her. His hands were buried in his pockets as he looked away from the girls at the table. He wasn't in the mood to see her friends' reaction to the fact that they were together, but Aqua kept insisting that he should show people he wasn't a bad person. Aqua walked around and stepped in front of them. She raised her hand as she smiled. "Hi!"

The girls smiled. "Hey!" they greeted her.

Rikku looked at her excited. "So? I can't wait to see this boyfriend of yours! Where is he?!"

Aqua looked over. She waited while Vanitas took his time to walk over. "Well…" Vanitas stepped beside her. She wrapped her arm around his arm as she pulled him closer and smiled. "Here he is!"

Rikku looked shocked as Paine looked serious, and Yuna looked a little concerned. "WHAT?!" Rikku shouted. Rikku stood up as she slammed her hands on the table. "You're going out with him?!"

Vanitas rolled his eyes. "This was exactly the reaction I was expecting." Afterwards, he tried to walk away.

Aqua looked upset as she clutched onto his arm tighter. "What's wrong with that?!"

Rikku didn't care if Vanitas was around, she wanted to say how she felt. "What's wrong?! He's nothing but trouble!"

"How can you judge someone before you know them?" Rikku remained silence though she wanted to object to him being with her. "I wanted you guys here so that we can all get along. Got it?" Paine watched with her arms crossed as Rikku looked down and sat back in her seat. Yuna kept her head down concerned. She knew about the two of them beforehand and wondered if she should say something. Aqua sat down and Vanitas sat beside her. Vanitas kept reminding himself that he was doing it as a favor to Aqua. Otherwise, he wouldn't have cared less. Aqua smiled and started off the conversation to make everyone feel at ease. After some time, everyone started to. Aqua embarrassed Vanitas a little by pinching his cheeks, which he frowned at her and telling little things about him. As they sat, Rikku, Paine, and Yuna started to believe that he was a decent guy, but they weren't totally convinced yet.

During the conversation, Rikku peeked across the street toward a group of guys. Yuna looked at her curious. "Rikku? Rikku?" Everyone's attention turned to her.

Paine crossed her arms as she looked over. "What are you going on about now…?"

Aqua looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

Rikku pointed toward the other side of her street. Across the way, they noticed a blond, spiked hair man smirking toward a group of boys. "Gippal is right over there. I don't know what to say to him…"

Aqua looked over curious. "Are you interested in him?"

Yuna grinned. "I think she called him with her the "perfect couple".

Rikku let out a groan as she shook her head. The girls looked at each other as they tried to think of something. Vanitas sighed as he closed his eyes. "He probably wouldn't know what to say to you either…" Once he noticed things were quiet, he opened his eyes to see all of the girls stared at him curiously. He didn't mean to cause attention to himself, but he didn't want the conversation to end up in an annoying circle. "The only way he's going to know you exist is if you just go talk to him." Vanitas looked over at him. "Looking at him, he probably likes to talk about himself. He wants someone that will be interested in him."

Rikku looked worried. "But-."

Aqua sided with Vanitas on this. "It would help if we had a male perspective."

Vanitas gave her a serious look. "What's the worse that's going to happen?"

Rikku pouted. "He'll think I'm weird!"

"Just go…" Rikku noticed that Vanitas looked confident and partially annoyed. Nervously, she got up and walked over toward Gippal and his group.

Curious, Aqua looked at Vanitas. "Think it'll work?"

Vanitas looked across the street. "If it doesn't, she's definitely not going to like me after this." Then, Vanitas noticed Yuna staring at him, concerned. Suspicious, he arched his eyebrow. "Let me guess… You're thinking the same thing as her?"

"Well… at first I wasn't sure from what I heard, but Aqua seems happy so maybe I should be too," Yuna replied.

Vanitas looked over at Paine. "What about you?"

Paine glared toward him. "As long as you don't hurt her."

Yuna let out a gentle smile. "Just please… take care of her."

Vanitas stared at her, unsure if they were still against him, but Yuna seemed sincere. "Sure."

Suddenly, he felt arms wrap around him which his eyes widened. He didn't know what was going on at first until he looked over and realized out of the corner of his eye that Rikku was hugging him with her eyes closed. She grinned, excited. "Thank you Vanitas! I finally got him to talk to me! He even gave me his number!"

Aqua was happy that her friends were getting along with Vanitas. She chuckled a little. "Don't hug him for too long and his cuteness factor might go away." Vanitas sighed with his eyes closed as he rethought why he came there in the first place.

Rikku let go of him. "I guess Aqua was right. You're not so bad."

Vanitas gave a dull glare. "Thanks..."

Rikku pulled Yuna up with her as Yuna looked surprised. "Come on Yuna!" Rikku smirked toward her. "Help me get him alone."

Nervously, Yuna smiled toward Aqua and Vanitas before she looked at Paine. "A little help…" Paine sighed and stood up. They headed over toward the group of boys again.

Vanitas watched as they walked away. Soon, he felt eyes on him. When he looked over, he saw Aqua stare at him with a gentle smile. "What?"

Aqua tilted her head a little. "Nothing. I'm just glad it all worked out. I think they really like you."

Vanitas sighed. Compared to what's to come, it was easy to win over her friends. "One painful thing down, another really painful thing to go..."

* * *

Later that week, Aqua went through the clothes in Vanitas's closet. He watched as he sat on his bed. Aqua pushed his clothes aside. For minutes she searched, but it was a hard challenge. "You have to have something nice to wear..."

"I told you I don't have anything." Vanitas looked toward the floor as he frowned. "Do I really have to do this…?"

Aqua looked over at him concerned. She walked over and kneeled down in front of him. "I know that it's hard, but we're going to have to deal with this eventually." She looked down and grabbed his hand. "Especially…if we stay together for a long time." Vanitas's eyes lifted up to hers. He still had to remember that he was doing this for her. He sighed with his eyes closed. Aqua let out a comforting smile. "Listen. I get it. I don't want to exactly go through this either, but we have to make a good impression." Aqua smiled and stood up. She knew it had to be hard for him, but she really wanted things to work out for everyone. "I don't want you to change. Be yourself." After she searched through his closet, another idea came to mind. "I'll get you a nice coat instead."

"Why do I have to dress up?" Vanitas asked, frustrated.

Aqua walked over toward him. "My parents said that they were going to a nice restaurant, so to make a good impression, you need to look nice."

Vanitas still had his doubts. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

Aqua wasn't sure herself, but she had to try. She sat down beside him. "I hope so..."

* * *

A few days passed. Aqua stepped downstairs as she wore a light blue, strapless dress that stopped at her knees and hugged her figure. Around her neck was the necklace Vanitas had given her. Downstairs, her parents waited until they saw her on the top of the staircase. Both of them smiled as they thought about how beautiful she looked. "Aqua…" her mother whispered. Aqua stopped in front of her and smiled. "Are you sure you don't want to ride with us?" her mother asked.

Aqua shook her head and smiled to assure them. "Yes. I'll meet you there."

Excited, her mother grinned. "I'm sure with that young man you wanted us to meet!"

Aqua nodded. "Yes." After Aqua left out of the door, her mother smiled and turned to her husband. "It's finally happened! I knew those two spending time together would make her see how they were made for each other!" Then, confusion became written on her face as she looked toward her husband. "I wonder why Aqua kept him a secret from us... We already know who it is."

Aqua walked over and knocked on Vanitas's door. A few seconds later, Vanitas answered the door. Once he saw Aqua, he turned around as he loosened the tie around his neck and breathed out frustrated. He wore a black suit with a white shirt with a couple of buttons loose at the top. "This tie is stupid!" Aqua walked in front of him and smiled gently. As she looked down and touched his tie, he lifted his head to her upset. "Why do I have wear it?!"

"Then don't." She loosened the tie and tossed it aside on the couch to his surprise. "I just want you to be yourself."

He rolled his eyes to the side. "You don't want that." Then, he looked toward her. The way she was dressed tonight, she really did look beautiful. Despite how bad he thought the night was going to go, a faint smirk seeped through his lips. Vanitas wrapped her arms around her waist. Aqua noticed his expression and smiled back. "I see someone's getting happy despite where we'll be going tonight."

His smirk widened. "If I start seeing you like this more, I would be happy more often."

"Well enough playing around. We have to go." Vanitas sighed with his eyes closed. Aqua placed her hand against his face. He opened his eyes. "I know, but try and have a good time."

He looked off toward the side. "Not going to be easy…"

Aqua embraced him. "I know."

The two left from Vanitas's house and headed to the restaurant to meet Aqua's parents. When they got there, her parents waited. They had already gotten a table. Aqua headed over first as Vanitas trailed slower behind. Aqua smiled at her parents once she got in front of them. "Hi mom, dad."

Inside, her mother was excited, but tried not to show it much on the outside. The moment she waited for was finally happening now. "So…?! Is he here with you?!"

Aqua nodded. "Yes." Aqua looked over as she held out her hand for Vanitas to take. Vanitas grabbed her hand and stood beside her. Inside, he had a bad feeling, but kept calm. "Mom... Dad... You guys remember Vanitas?" The moment her mother saw him, her mouth dropped in shock. Her father's eyes widened in surprised as well. He wasn't as stunned as his wife, but still surprised nonetheless. Aqua looked over at Vanitas as she smiled for comfort. It helped him feel a little less uneasy since he knew she was on his side. "He's the one I wanted you to meet. He's… my boyfriend."

Her parents remained speechless. When her mother heard the word 'boyfriend', it felt like an instant stab through the heart. Vanitas pulled out Aqua's chair so that she could sit down. After she did, he sat down beside her at the round table. Aqua looked over to Vanitas to see if he would say something to them. Vanitas noticed and looked at them. "It's… nice to see you again." As he closed his eyes, he bowed his head out of respect.

Since her mother didn't say anything, her father tried to make things less awkward. "Y-Yes! Thank you… It's nice to see you again as well."

Finally getting over her shock, her mother followed behind. "Y-Yes… Likewise." She couldn't believe it. This was far from what she expected. It was truly unacceptable...

They sat around in silence. Aqua smiled nervously at her parents as Vanitas tried to remain as calm as he could. He was more than ready to leave. In return, her mother gave a little smile, despite how angry she was. Soon, it was time to order. Vanitas looked at the menu. His eyes widened a little in surprise. The prices were more expensive than he thought. To pay for the bill, it would take whatever money he had left over. After they ordered, Aqua's mother calmed down somewhat as she glared a little at Vanitas. She had a plan in mind just to make them all see how wrong he was for Aqua. She picked up her glass and swirled the white wine inside. "So? Vanitas…? Aren't you that boy that ruined our daughter's seventh birthday party?"

The question caught Vanitas off guard. "Yeah. That was an accident."

Aqua's mother arched her eyebrow as she glared, serious. "So you two are saying that this is a serious relationship?"

Aqua smiled as she nodded. "Yes mother."

Her mother glanced between them. "And that you two plan to stay together for a long time?" Aqua nodded as Vanitas looked serious. Something about the way she spoke made him keep his guard up. He reached over and started drinking some of the water from his glass. That was all she needed to hear to start her attack. "If that's the case… do you plan on marrying my daughter? Being able to take care of her? Kids?" Vanitas's eyes widened as he almost choked on his water.

Aqua smiled nervously as she wished that her mother wouldn't go so hard on him. "Mother... It might be too soon to ask that."

Her father turned to his wife. At the same time, he wished that he wouldn't attack either one of them. "Honey please…" he whispered.

Her mother turned her attention back to Vanitas. "I just want to see how serious the boy-. I mean _Vanitas_ is. We shouldn't just allow any guy to be with our daughter."

Vanitas calmed down a little before he answered. He knew what she was trying to do and he was willing to play her game. "I'm not just some guy. Yeah I thought about it and whatever happens, happens."

Inside, her mother let out a devious smirk, but on the outside, she smiled gently. "All right... I'll ask something easier. Have you got any plans for school after you graduate? Gotten into any schools yet?"

Aqua turned to Vanitas a little worried. Since the last time Vanitas and her talked, he wasn't thinking about going to school. "I looked around and I was thinking about one."

Aqua's mother tapped her fingers against the table. "It's getting kind of late to decide. After all, senior year is almost up."

Vanitas frowned. "I'm aware."

Aqua's mother glared at him, trying to intimidate him. "I want someone who will be able to take care of my daughter."

Vanitas looked serious. "I know. I will."

Soon, their food came to their table. Aqua was impressed. Vanitas was more behaved than usual. Since she knew that he was doing it for her, it made it all the more special, as if he really wanted to stay with her. They got through dinner without Aqua's mother trying to trip Vanitas up. After they were finished, Aqua's mother leaned back in her chair ready for her next attack. "Vanitas... You know that Aqua is used to more… finer things in life. I've seen your family's situation. You seem to be barely getting by yourselves." Vanitas frowned at her as he tried to hold back his own glare. "I just hope that will be able to take care of her like you said. You know. Being able to provide like a good, _potential_ husband should. You know. Be worthy to even deserve her. Be good enough." Vanitas clutched onto his teeth. His fists baled underneath the table near his knees.

"Enough mother!" Before he could speak, he turned to Aqua beside him, surprised. Aqua had listened to enough. She grabbed onto the arms of her chair. "You're just putting him down because you won't accept him."

Her mother gave her an upset look. "Aqua. Don't you dare talk to me in that way. We are out in public." Aqua looked down, worried that Vanitas might resort back to his insecurities. The waiter came back with the check for the table. To enforce more damage, she slid the check toward Vanitas. "I believe that you are paying for your half. At least I hope for yours and our daughter's half."

Vanitas stared at the piece of paper in front of him. Her words were starting to sink into him. It would have taken most of the money he had and the night wasn't over yet. Seeing that he wasn't going to do anything, she slid the bill back to herself. "It's okay. We got it this time. Maybe the next dinner you could get. Something more in your price range." Aqua couldn't believe how her mother acted toward him.

Afterwards, they left the restaurant and headed home. Along the way, Aqua and Vanitas sat in the backseat. Aqua looked over at Vanitas worried as he stared out of the window. She hoped that he would look over at her, but he didn't. He didn't look at anyone since they left. Her eyes traveled down. This night had been a disaster. She just hoped that it didn't hurt their relationship...

Once they got home, Aqua's parents headed inside their house. Her mother glared at Vanitas before she headed inside. Hopefully, he had gotten the message and that Aqua would end up with who she wanted. Vanitas sighed frustrated and headed toward his house. Aqua watched as her parents went inside before she spotted Vanitas head to his house. She rushed over and grabbed his arm, which he stopped. "I'm so sorry. You were right. I shouldn't have talked you into this. Don't listen to what she said okay?"

Tired, he turned to her. He stared at her for a few more seconds. "Whatever..." She let go of his arm once he headed back to his house. The feeling of defeat weighed heavily on him. Usually, he would fight back, but not this time. Everything her mother said casted doubt in him.

Aqua watched him worried. She was sure that tonight had him down. Once she went home, she stepped inside of the kitchen to see her parents sitting at the table with coffee. As soon as she saw her mother, she got angry. She marched up to her. She didn't care at that point how she talked to her. "What did you think you were doing tonight?! How could you do that to him?!"

Instantly, her mother frowned. "What do you think you were doing with him?! I thought you were bringing Terra!"

Aqua stopped, surprised. "Terra?"

Her mother shook her head. "Both of our families wanted the two of you to spend time together in hopes that you would come to like each other." Her mother turned her head to Aqua and looked upset. "But I can see now that's not happening."

Aqua gave a pleading stare. "I wanted to be with Vanitas. He's special to me."

Her father looked concerned. "Don't you think that you were being too hard on the boy? Trying to make him feel as if he's no good?"

Her mother looked angry as she turned to her husband. "I was trying to save our daughter from making a grave mistake! I'm right about this! It would be easier for her to be with someone who could care for her instead of her spending her whole life struggling! Just look at him!"

Aqua turned her mother toward her with a upset look. "And how do you know that I would just be struggling?! He's pretty capable of taking care of me and I'm pretty capable of taking care of myself if I had to!"

"Aqua! Listen to me." She grabbed onto Aqua's shoulders. "You are to stay away from him."

Aqua gave a serious look. "No."

Her mother gave her a stunned look. "What did you say?"

Aqua hoped that she could make her mother understand. "I love him and I want to stay with him."

Once again, her mother couldn't believe what she heard. "You don't know what love is."

"Please just accept him. We're serious about this," Aqua pleaded with a little.

Her mother shook her head. "After everything we've done for you…" They looked at each other concerned. "We took you in and gave you everything you could've needed or ask for. Do you want to have nothing like your mother had?" Aqua's eyes widened, stunned. How could she bring up what happened to her real mother? She placed her hand on Aqua's shoulder. "Listen to your parents when we say we know what's best for you."

After she got over her shock, anger began to rise in her stomach. Aqua shifted her shoulder from her touch and frowned. "You are not my mother." Her adopted mother looked stunned at what she had said. Aqua looked down. "I'm grateful for everything you two have done for me. I even called you mother because you wanted me to, because it made you happy." Aqua looked up at her calm. "Even when me and mom didn't have much, what we did have was love." She placed her hand against her chest. "That's what we have."

Her adopted mother frowned toward her. "I will not accept this…"

Aqua's eyes widened in surprised. "But-!"

Her mother looked upset again and separated from Aqua. "Go to your room."

Aqua stood stunned. "What-?"

"Go to your room! Now!" her mother repeated. Aqua stared at her mother, but saw that she wasn't going to change her mind. She got upset and headed upstairs. Her mother followed her part of the way. "And you are not to see him again! You understand me or else!"

Aqua's father walked over and placed his hands on his wife's shoulders. "Don't you think you're being a little hard on her?"

Quickly, she turned to him. "Do you want her to end up on the streets with that boy?! Trust me. I know what I'm doing is best."

Aqua traveled up to her room and leaned against the closed door. She didn't bother to turn the light on inside. She was still stunned over the argument they just had. She couldn't understand why her mother was being so heartless. If she loved him, that's all that mattered, right? Aqua lifted her head toward her window. She wanted to check on Vanitas to make sure that he was okay and that they were still okay. "Aqua! I'll be there in just a minute to check on you. We're talking about this." Aqua could hear her mother from downstairs. Aqua held her head down. She was in no mood for what she had to say. Soon, an idea came to mind. She thought about leaving and heading over to see Vanitas like she wanted, but she knew it would just cause more trouble between her and her family. Then, she heard a knock on the door which made her turn her head. "Can I come in?" Reluctantly, Aqua got off of the door and opened it. She headed toward her bed as her mother stood in the doorway concerned. She watched as Aqua sat down on her bed. "You have to understand. I'm only doing what's best for you." Aqua let out a sigh. She sat down next to Aqua. Gently, she placed her hand on top of Aqua's hand that was resting on her leg. "Listen Aqua. I know right now-."

Aqua held her head down. "I know what you're going to say."

Her mother looked calm. "I don't think you do. Listen to me. I don't want you to end up with nothing. My sister, your real mother… did what she could for you, but she ended up raising you alone and it was hard for her. I don't want that for you." Aqua remained silent. Her mother smiled. "The day that you came into our lives was the happiest day of my life. I've always wanted a daughter and I didn't want anything to happen to her. You're my daughter. That's why I'm going to take care of you. I know what's best."

Aqua lifted her head to her, calm. "Maybe… you're right. I was being irrational. Maybe he's not the one for me…"

Her mother closed her eyes, relieved. She looked at Aqua and smiled gently. "I know. I know it may hurt right now, but you'll get over it. You'll see." She hugged Aqua. Aqua closed her eyes and returned the hug. Her mother rubbed the back of her head. "You'll see. I'm sure soon you'll know what love is."

After her mother left, Aqua lied down on her bed. She grabbed her phone. She thought about sending a message to Vanitas, but then she stopped. She wasn't sure what to say to him, but knew they would have to confront each other soon.

* * *

The next day, there was a knock on Vanitas's door. When he answered it, he poked his head out of the door and opened it partly. He was surprised to see it was Aqua standing there with her hands in front of her uneasy. "Vanitas… Do you mind if I come in…?" Vanitas thought about it for a second before he stepped aside and let her in. The sad look on her face made him feel uneasy. Afterwards, she turned to him concerned. "Are you okay?"

He stared at her for a few moments before he answered. "Yeah."

She looked up to see that he still seemed uneasy. "All that stuff my mother said-."

"Was she right?" he asked.

Aqua pulled him into a tight hug as she closed her eyes. He was stunned at first, but then slowly wrapped her arms around her waist. "I'm sorry about last night…" she whispered. Soon, she parted from him. She was still concerned about how he was doing. Her eyes traveled down. "…and about my mother. You were right. Maybe we shouldn't have met them... She was just saying those things because she wanted to make you go away and for me to be with who she really wanted me to be with. She tried to convince me to break up with you and so I… agreed with her." He breathed out as he looked down. He expected as much. Aqua shook her head. "It was only so she would stop talking about it. I knew no matter what I said, she would just argue back with me."

Vanitas grabbed onto her hands as he looked serious. "So…What now?"

"What we were doing before. My parents won't have to know." She felt bad for doing so, but she couldn't just give up on Vanitas like that.

His eyes searched hers. "Sure you want to live like that?"

Aqua looked down sad. She didn't want to, but if that what it took. "Yeah… It's like you said before when Ven found out about us." She wrapped her arms around his neck which he wrapped his around her waist. "You told me that you rather be with me than for him to forgive you. It was a hard choice for you to make, but…you made it. So can I." A determined look came on her face. "If my parents can't accept you, then… I rather have you, even if we had to keep it a secret, than to not have you at all."

He placed his fingers under her chin. When she looked up at him, she saw him with a serious look. "You know we can't keep this up forever."

She lightly grabbed onto his fingers. "To let everyone get what they want won't make us happy."

Vanitas closed his eyes as he breathed out. "Then that's how it's going to have to stay."

Aqua leaned her head forward which he followed. Their foreheads pressed together as their eyes lowered to a close. "Yes…" She leaned in, about to touch her lips with his.

"Oh? Hello!" Quickly, the two separated. Aqua looked over surprised as Vanitas rubbed the back of his head. He could tell who's voice it was. His mother looked surprised as she stood between the living room and kitchen. "I thought I heard voices. It's nice to see you again Aqua."

Aqua smiled nervously. Mostly because she didn't think that no one but Vanitas was home. "Hi! It's good to see you as well."

His mother gave a confuse look between them. "What's… going on here?"

Vanitas looked serious. "Nothing," he replied. "She's just visiting."

His mother looked between them as she stepped in closer. "Really…? You two seem awfully close. When I came in, it seemed like I interrupted something."

Vanitas and Aqua glanced at each other. If she saw what they thought she saw, then there was no denying it. "It's because… she's my girlfriend..." A surprised look came on his mother's face. The room turned silent.

Then, his mother smiled. "I'm just surprised that's all. Well if that's the case, do you mind if I take Aqua away from you? A little girl to girl talk?"

Aqua nodded nervously. "Um…? Sure."

Afterwards, his mother headed back into the kitchen. Aqua and Vanitas let out a sigh. "I thought the point of letting them know that we're not together is to not do anything out in the open."

She smiled and grabbed his hand. "Next time, let's go somewhere else we won't be seen."

"Yeah. Next time." Vanitas looked at Aqua before he went upstairs. Aqua walked over and stood beside Vanitas's mother. "Sit. Please." Aqua listened and sat at the round, kitchen table. "Would you like some tea?"

Aqua smiled toward her. "Yes please."

His mother poured some tea for her. "So? You and my son hmm…?"

Aqua nodded, a little nervous. "Yes."

His mother looked over at her. "Are you sure you're happy with that?"

Aqua gave her a curious look. "What do you mean?" His mother placed a cup of tea on the table in front of her. "I mean. I know how much of a handful he can be..." She sat down next to her with her own cup.

Aqua grinned. "I know."

His mother looked down concerned. "He's unpredictable... I just don't want anyone getting hurt…"

Aqua looked concerned. "What are you trying to say…?"

His mother smiled as best she could. "I'm just saying that maybe… you should…reconsider." Aqua stared at her stunned. "You're such a sweet girl. I just think… maybe until he starts to show change for the better or… something, but, for now, you shouldn't be in a relationship with him or maybe… it's not the best time."

Aqua couldn't believe what she heard. She looked down as she wondered if the whole world was against Vanitas and her being together. Her eyes traveled down as she stood up. "Thank you for the tea. I should get going."

His mother looked concerned. "I'm sorry if…"

Aqua gave a sad smile toward her. "It's fine." Afterwards, she headed toward the door, still stunned with what she heard. She thought about leaving, but she looked toward the stairs. Her eyes traveled down.

In his room, Vanitas lied on his bed with his arms behind his head. Suddenly, he heard the door open which made him sit up. He saw Aqua come in with a sad stare and close the door behind her. He put his arm on his knees. "What-?"

She sat on the bed and leaned against him as she buried her face in his shoulder. "Why is everyone against us…?"

Confusion became written on his face. "What happened this time?"

"Even your mother is against us," she whispered.

Vanitas sighed. "I can't say I'm surprised." Aqua lifted from him as she looked curious. "Now do you still want to go through this?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. She leaned her head against his as they closed their eyes. "Do you mind…if I just stay here?"

"Yeah." They separated as he looked serious. The two lied down on his bed.

When Vanitas looked at her, he noticed that she was lost in thought. After a moment of silence, she curled closer to him. "Last night, she brought up my mother."

Vanitas looked over curious. "Your real mom?"

Aqua nodded against him. "Yeah… She said that she didn't want me to end up like her."

"You never really talked about her much, even when we first met."

"It was hard back then. Before I went to live with my moth- I mean my aunt and uncle, I was happy with my real mom. It's true. We didn't have much and I didn't really know my dad, but still…" A sad smile slipped from her lips. She closed her eyes tight. "I was happy! I felt loved! I wished that…I wished I just had a little longer to spend with her." She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. "We didn't have much, but we had each other. That was all that mattered. That's what I tried to explain yesterday." She looked back as she smiled gently. "As long as I have you, I'm happy." She turned her head forward him as she leaned against her knees. "I did everything they asked of me. Even when she wanted me to call her mother, that's what I did for her until I became so used to it, but for the one time I don't agree with her…"

Vanitas sat up beside her. "Your real mom definitely sounds different."

Aqua smiled at him. "I think she would've liked you."

A smirk left his lips. That was sort of hard to believe. "Then she must've been really nice to like someone like me or too trusting..."

Aqua laughed a little. Afterwards she leaned against him. During their time together, she didn't worry about anything. She just wanted to stay there with him.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update! Next will be Sibling Rivalry!_


	15. Sibling Rivalry: The Past Part 1

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story and adding this to your favorites and alerts! For those who've already read 'Sibling Rivalry' separately, this is the first chapter with no changes. If you haven't read yet, I hope that you'll like the next chapter! _

* * *

_Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Namine side of the story)_

 _Chapter 14: The Past Part 1:_

 _Ten years ago…_

The first day of school was usually the hardest. Not only was it the start of a new adventure, but there were new people to meet too. A seven-year old Sora nervously entered into what would be his new school, his mother pushing him along, encouraging him to go. Once he was in, he searched for a familiar face to talk to. One friend crossed his mind that was supposed to be in his class. He walked around looking for Riku until he almost ran into someone in front of him. Soon, he was face to face with a girl with short, scarlet hair and pretty blue eyes. Sora stared at her, stunned and nervous. Her smile made his cheeks light up with a little tint of red.

"Hi!" her voice replied sweetly.

Sora's words began to stutter. "Um…? Hi!" He hadn't seen anyone like her before. "Who-Who are you?"

The girl placed her hands behind her back as she smiled. "My name's Kairi! What's your name?"

Sora frozen for a short time before he replied. He had almost forgotten his name. "S-Sora!"

Kairi giggled a little. Nervously, he rubbed the back of her head. "Nice to meet you Sora."

Sora nodded. "Yeah!" he sounded excited. The two continued to smile at each other until another girl joined them. Sora looked over at the girl surprised. She seemed very shy. "Oh! Are you coming to school with us too?"

Kairi smiled at Sora. "No. She's gonna next year. This is my sister Namine."

Sora looked over at Namine and smiled at her. "Hi! Nice to meet you. My name is Sora."

Namine stared at him, too shy to speak. Soon Kairi's and Namine's mother came over and grabbed onto Namine's hand. "Come on Namine. It's time to go. Have a good day at school Kairi!"

"Bye!" Kairi exclaimed while she waved.

As Namine walked away, she looked back at Sora again. She watched as he laughed and rubbed the back of his head as he spoke with Kairi. At that moment, she wanted to stay.

* * *

 _Eight years ago…_

Bright lights were falling from the sky. Kairi watched in amazement as she sat on a rock on the beach. Namine was sitting on the sand drawing with a crayon in hand while Sora and Riku stood nearby with wooden swords that they used to fight each other on the island. Kairi hugged her knees tighter. "This is a pretty meteor shower."

"Yeah." Sora whispered, agreeing.

A thought came to Namine's mind as her crayon stopped on her pad. Worried, her eyes lifted up to Sora. "Sora? What if a meteor comes… and hits the island?"

Sora smiled confidently. He climbed onto top of the rock and held his sword in the air determined. "Don't worry Namine! If one does come to the island, I'll knock it right back into the sky!" A gentle smile crossed Kairi's lips. It was really nice what he said to comfort her sister. Sora sat beside her as the two passed a grin toward each other. Playfully she nudged his arm which caused him to let out a laugh. Nearby, Namine watched as the two interacted. The smile disappeared from her lips. At that moment, she wished that she could've been the one up there on the rock, looking at the stars together with Sora.

* * *

 _Three years ago…_

People were crowded around the school as today was a special day. Sora walked around to see if he could find the one person he looked forward to seeing all day. Unfortunately, he didn't have such luck so he moved on to his next plan.

"You got something special for Kairi today?" Red flooded his face when his best friend asked behind him. He turned around and stammered when he tried to answer.

Then he noticed that Riku had something in his hand as well. A surprised look appeared. "Is that for Kairi too?"

Riku looked at the card he had in his hand. "Maybe… Better find her before I do. Otherwise, she's getting mine first."

Sora frowned. Now he was determined. For a while, they both had seemed to be competing for Kairi's attention. Today especially he needed a win. All day he hoped to run into her, but still had no such luck. Why was today of all days the hardest to find her? In her class, he found her desk, but there were already several valentines inside. Loudly, he sighed. It wouldn't be enough to just place his in a pile of others. He had to be different.

Outside of her class, he spotted someone that might have known where she was. "Namine!" She looked over surprised at the call of her name. Sora caught up with her, breathing hard. Clumsily, his card slipped out his hand. Namine bent down to pick it up, curious. It didn't have a name on the outside of the envelope. He placed his hands on his knees breathing hard. Out of the corner of his eye, he finally spotted Kairi standing nearby Selphie in the hall heading toward them. Kairi smiled toward him and waved. "Um…?" Before he could tell Namine never mind, she had already opened the card. Today really wasn't his day.

Her eyes read over what he wrote inside. After reading, she smiled sweetly toward him. "Thank you Sora!" How could he tell Namine that the card wasn't meant for her now that she looked so grateful?

Before he could explain, Kairi stepped in beside Namine. She leaned over with her hands behind her back curious as she grinned. "You got a card too!" She took the card from Namine and skimmed over a few lines that were written. Nervously Sora looked between them. He wanted to explain it, but he didn't want to disappoint Namine. Truly he was in a bind. Then Kairi looked over at him. Through her smile, she seemed a little disappointed. "Oh! That was really sweet of you Sora!"

"Kairi!" She looked over to see Riku heading toward her. He handed her his card. "Here."

The two exchanged smiles after she read it. "Thank you Riku! That was really sweet!"

Sora's head dropped. It had gotten worse. Riku had beat him to the punch again. The two walked off together as he watched. "Here!" Sora turned his attention back to Namine. Nervously, Namine held out a card in front of her. "I just wanted to give you this."

Sora smiled as he rubbed the back of his head and took the handmade card. "Thanks Namine."

Namine noticed the other gift in his hand and pointed toward it. "Is that another part of your surprise?"

"Um? It's um…?" Sora stuttered. Then he sighed as he closed his eyes. What was the point anymore?

Namine became surprised once she saw his expression change. "What's wrong?"

Sora looked toward the side uneasy. "Well…I had another card for you... That card… was actually meant for… Kairi."

Disappointment came on her face. "Oh!"

He smiled, saddened as he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that…"

She smiled to assure him that it was okay. "No I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought..."

Sora reached into his pocket and handed her another card. "This one is yours!" he said cheerfully. The two exchanged cards. "I'll see you later okay?" Uneasy he turned away. Maybe it was too late to give Kairi anything today. Curious, Namine opened the real card that Sora had gotten for her. She smiled a little. The words inside were a little funny much like she knew Sora's humor to be, but it was still disappointing. Apart of her wished that she had kept Kairi's card instead.

Alone, Kairi sat on the edge of the dock on the island. The sun was finally starting to set. The water from the ocean had brushed against her feet occasionally. Her eyes gazed over the ripples. Everyone had been really nice to her today. Apart of her thought it was selfish to wish for something from a certain someone, but it couldn't have been helped. Maybe she had expected too much. She still hasn't been able to give him what she wanted to today either. After she read the card he had given to Namine, maybe she had the wrong idea about how he felt about her.

Suddenly, a boat rowed near the dock. "Kairi!" Kairi blinked surprised. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed sooner. Sora tried to climb out of his boat once he reached the dock, but the water kept rocking the boat so much that it had almost made him fall in. Possibly hitting the water wasn't his main concern. He grabbed onto the edge of the wooden planks. Kairi grabbed onto his hands, helping. Once he reached her, he knew this was his chance. She stared at him still surprised, but then turned her head once he had his feet safely on the wooden dock. The same disappointed look came on his face as he had sat down close beside her. Her hands stayed in her lap covering what she held on to inside of them. Sora looked at her for a few seconds before he stared at the water. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day," she said to him quietly.

He twisted her body toward her. "Kairi. I'm sorry... That stuff that Namine had…it was meant for you."

She looked at him, concerned but inside she was confused. "If it was, why didn't you tell her?"

He looked down. "I don't know..." He sat down beside her. "She seemed so happy when she got it that I didn't want to ruin that."

Kairi knew he was kind person and it was hard for him to say no. "It's okay."

Sora looked over to see her smile a little. He smiled back but still wished he had given her the card first. Inside it had some of his personal feelings about her. Then, he looked surprised as he just remembered something. He tried to contain his excitement. "Hey Kairi? Can you close your eyes for a minute?"

Surprised, she gave into his request. Sora reached into his big pocket on the side of his pants and pulled out a red, wrapped box. He tried to open her hands that were in her lap but she had refused. Kairi opened her eyes to look at him. "Don't. It was…sort of my surprise for you."

Sora smiled, understanding. "Okay. Here's yours." Kairi stared down at his hands. Instantly, she became curious. She couldn't figure out what it was. "So… do you want to open yours first?"

"Um…? Sure." She turned so that he wouldn't see his surprise and placed it beside her leg. She took the box from his hand and nervously opened it. Then she let out a gentle smile. Sora smiled, taking it as a sign that she liked his gift. Excited, she pulled the seashell necklace out of the box. There was a heart shape at the end. "Like it?" It would give him some kind of idea of what to give her in the future.

Instead of answering, she smiled and handed it to him. She tilted her head down. He placed it around her neck. Afterwards, she looked down at the new gift. It reminded her of the island that she called home. "I love it."

Sora smiled more. Then he remembered the card that he held in his hand. "Oh!" He handed her the card. "Sorry…that it's already open…"

Kairi opened it and read. "It's okay." Her eyes read over every word.

Sora watched as her expression changed. Her lips parted as her smile disappeared. He didn't know whether that was good or not. Carefully he watched her. Finally she closed the card. Then she reached toward her side. Curious he leaned forward. He was anxious to hear her response. "What is it?" His eyes traveled down. "You didn't like the card did you?"

"I'm sorry. I just wish…" She looked down. "I wish my card could have been as sweet as yours. What I wrote is pretty silly." She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him. "That was the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me. Thank you," she sounded grateful. Sora smiled. It was tough day, but in the end, he got what he wanted. After they parted, he opened the card that she had got for him. He grinned. "Yeah… This is pretty cheesy." Playfully she pushed him as they both let out a laugh. They watched the changing sky and waves of the ocean as they relaxed. Tired, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder. Sora let out a smile as he saw her relaxed expression. This turned out to be the best Valentine's Day they had yet.

Later that night, before Kairi settled for bed, she picked up the card again that Sora had given her and read over it once more. The message inside touched her heart. She was glad for today because now she had felt closer to him.

* * *

 _Two years ago…_

Namine walked out of her class along with the other kids. Her eyes searched around for where Kairi could have gone. In the hall, she finally been able to spot her, but saw Sora and her walk off together.

Outside of school, they turned to each other. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?"

Kairi smiled as she shook her head. "It's okay. My parents are picking me up."

Sora rubbed the back of his head, uneasy. "Oh! I hope you feel better then…"

Kairi nodded toward him. "I will."

Red started to fill Sora's cheeks as he looked surprised. Her blue eyes staring into his. It had made him nervous staring at each other for that long. Nearby, Namine headed toward them. Since Kairi was getting picked up, she figured that she could ride home as well. When she lifted her eyes, she noticed how close they were. Right away, she wondered what they were up to. What if this was the moment that something would happen between them? She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't leave her.

Feeling that they were staring a while, Kairi spoke first. "Sora?"

He jumped nervously at the sound of his name. "Yeah?"

Her eyes traveled down thinking as she held her hands together. "I-."

"Kairi!" a voice called from nearby.

Quickly, Kairi and Sora stepped back from each other to see Namine heading toward them. "Namine?"

Namine stopped in front of her curious. "I finally caught up with you. Are they here yet?"

Disappointed, Kairi gave a small smile. "Not yet."

Kairi turned toward Sora as he looked curious. "What did you want to say?"

For now, Kairi had given up what she wanted to say since it didn't seem like a good time. She shook her head. "It was nothing. See you later Sora."

Sora rubbed the back of his head. He still wanted to know what she wanted to say, but decided to let it go for now instead. "See ya."

Kairi walked away along with Namine. Namine smiled toward him gently. "See you Sora."

"See ya Namine!" Sora smiled, but then he sighed. The moment had turned disappointing. He really wanted to know what she was going to tell him.

Nearby, another figure stood as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. A frown crossed his face as he watched what happened. It seemed the two were getting close, closer than he had hope. He stood up from off of the wall and walked over. "Hey! Sora!"

Sora looked back surprised as the figure approached him. "Riku!"

Riku nudged him as he looked serious. "So? You ready for tomorrow?"

Sora smirked as he baled his fist. "Yeah!"

"What were you and Kairi talking about?"

"Huh?" Sora wondered why Riku changed the subject so quickly. He also noticed the look on Riku's face. Something had seemed off. He seemed upset. "Um…Nothing really. She wasn't feeling well so I was making sure she was okay."

Riku arched his eyebrow. Something inside of him believed something else was happening. "Really? It seemed like something else."

Sora shook his head. "No. What would make you think that?"

Riku's eyes traveled toward the side as he frowned. "Nothing…"

Sora looked at him confused. He wasn't sure what Riku was thinking, but he was ready to focus on their fight at hand. "Let's even the score so get ready! Tomorrow! It's your lost!"

"Let's make it interesting then." Sora looked at Riku curious. Riku arched his eyebrow toward him. "Winner tomorrow gets to share the papou with Kairi."

Sora's eyes widened at his suggestion. A nervous feeling came in his chest at the thought. "What-?"

Riku smirked at Sora. "You heard me. The winner tomorrow gets to share a papou with Kairi."

Sora's eyes traveled to the side as he blinked and blushed nervously. "W-w-wait a minute…" Riku smirked toward him and started walking away. "See ya tomorrow then." Sora stood in place as he wondered if Riku was serious. Pushing the thought aside, he shook his head and caught up with Riku. The two walked together.

Today would be the day. Today would be the day that he would prove himself. With his wooden sword in hand, Sora would defeat his rival and break their tied score. On the island, he walked passed his friends as he got ready for battle. "What's going on?" Selphie asked.

"Sora's going to challenge Riku again," Wakka answered.

Tidus placed his hands behind his head, skeptical. "Again? There's no way he could win against Riku."

"Actually I think they're tied," Wakka pointed out.

Selphie smiled. "I guess if Sora wins, maybe Riku isn't the only one Kairi can depend on."

Sora stood, ready. Across from him, Riku frowned. Neither one would let the other win. "Let's go Sora! Don't forget about what I said yesterday."

Sora frowned back. He was more determined about winning the fight. Both of them got ready. Selphie waved her hand. "Go!"

The two began to fight with their wooden swords. Sora felt a little uneasy during. It seemed that Riku was pushing him harder than before. As they sparred, Kairi's boat stopped near the dock. Once she got settled, she looked surprised as she saw the two fighting nearby. She started to get worried. It didn't seem like their usual, friendly sparring. The hits were harder and the fight was tough, but Sora was able to knock the sword out of Riku's hand. Sora let out a proud smirk as he turned to Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie cheering behind him. Kairi breathed out in relief that it was over and neither one of them were hurt. Underneath his breath Riku growled. His fists tightened around the handle of the sword. At his best, he still couldn't believe that he had lost to Sora. Kairi looked worried as she watched Riku. He seemed very upset. Riku stood up and raised his sword. Kairi's eyes widened, scared. "Sora!"

Sora glanced over. In time, he reacted by raising his sword to block Riku's. "What?"

"Again!" Both of them pressed their teeth together as they struggled.

"Stop it!" they heard Kairi's voice in the background. Riku knocked the sword out of Sora's hand. He fell back on the sand. Kairi kneeled down concerned, checking on him.

Riku growled upset. He just didn't get it. "That's a weak way to win."

Sora looked at him upset as he baled his fist. "What are you talking about?! What's wrong with you?"

Kairi looked concerned beside him. "You guys are friends! you shouldn't be fighting!"

Riku frowned as he looked down at them. "Are you taking his side?"

Kairi stood up as she pressed her fist to her chest. "No! I-!"

Riku tossed his sword on the ground in front of him. "I'm out of here!" Riku looked back before he walked away. "You win Sora. I guess you got what you wanted. You get to share the papou with her." Everyone stared surprised as Riku walked away.

Soon Kairi ran after him. She wasn't sure what was going on, but someone had to fix it. "Wait! W-." Suddenly she put her hand to her face as she closed her eyes. A wave of dizziness hit her out of nowhere.

Selphie stepped forward concerned. "Kairi?"

Sora stood up concerned as well. "Kairi."

Kairi opened her eyes as she turned back. A tired look came on her face as her eyes darkened. "Sora…" Her eyes lowered to a close as she fell forward.

Quick on his feet, he stood up and caught her before she could hit the ground. "Kairi!" She lied down on the ground as Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie crowded around. Sora shook her a little, but she didn't respond. "Kairi! Kairi! Open your eyes!"

Riku stepped over determined and picked her up off of the ground. "I'm taking her home." He turned and headed toward his boat. Everyone looked concerned. They really hoped that she was okay.

* * *

"I heard that she has a fever so she's resting. I guess her not feeling well has finally caught up with her." Selphie looked concerned as she stood in front of Sora. Sora looked down as well. A few days passed, but he hadn't been able to see her since she fainted. Still he tried to hear whatever news he could. He wished that he could have seen her. Selphie smiled to assure him. "I'm sure she's all right. Don't worry. I'll let you know what I hear."

Sora looked down as she walked away. All he could do was wait. After the two parted, Sora stood on the island alone. With Kairi still on his mind, he headed toward the secret cave near the waterfall. Inside there were drawings on the wall that they used to create as kids. Finally he made it to the other side of the cave. Sora kneeled down staring of the drawing of him and her. When they were younger, they had drawn pictures of each other. Nearby, Sora grabbed a rock and began carving on the wall. When he was done, he leaned back a little. There was a drawing of a papou on the wall going toward the picture of Kairi. Even if he couldn't share the papou with her, at least he could in some way.

* * *

"Is it all right to come in?" Kairi heard a familiar voice through the door.

Kairi sat up in her bed, tired. "Sure."

Namine opened the door as she smiled. Soon Riku stepped in. He smiled a little. "You look a little better." He sat down on the edge of the bed as Namine stood in the doorway.

Kairi smiled as best as she could. "A little…" She looked down thinking back to the other day. She was still worried about what happened. "Riku…? Is everything okay…between you and Sora?" Riku looked down serious. She smiled to comfort him. "You guys are best friends. Don't lose that. It's important that you stick together. Okay?" She looked out toward the window. "How is Sora? I'm sure he's bored without us," she joked as she let out a laugh. Riku's eyes traveled down. His heart dropped in his chest a little. It seemed that he was losing again to Sora.

* * *

On the island, Sora was talking with Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus. He was still worried about how Kairi was doing, but they had kept him company. "Hey!" He lifted his eyes. Across from him, he saw Riku with a serious look on his face.

Sora breathed out uneasy. After their fight last time, he wasn't sure how Riku would react. "Hey." Riku tilted his head toward the side as a signal to Sora. The two walked away from the group as the others looked concerned. Once they were alone, Sora looked at him confused. "What happened the other day? You lost it."

Riku frowned. "That's the first thing you ask about? What about Kairi? Don't you care how she's doing?"

Sora looked concerned. "Of course I do!"

"I saw her the other day."

Sora looked surprised. "Huh?! I thought we couldn't go over to see her."

"Thanks to Namine, I got in to see her while her parents weren't home. She's getting better." Sora breathed out in relief. Riku walked over to him and placed his hand on Sora's shoulder. "Take care of her."

Sora looked surprised. "Huh?"

"You really care about Kairi so make sure you take care of her."

Uneasy, Sora looked at him. "I know you care about her too."

Riku's eyes lowered toward the ground. "I guess…I was… jealous..."

Sora looked surprised. "Why?"

Riku crossed his arms. "I guess…You and Kairi have been spending a lot of time together. You guys seem close."

"Oh… You don't have to worry about that! You're still close with us too!" Then, Sora wrapped his arm around his neck as he grinned. "You're my best friend and that's how it's going to stay!"

The grin Sora gave was infectious. Riku did the same and nodded. "Sure!"

The next day, as he walked, Sora's expression changed to surprise. He saw a familiar face in the crowd. "Kairi!" Surprised, she turned around. Sora smiled at her relieved. Soon they met up with each other. "You're looking a lot better."

Kairi smiled. "I feel a lot better."

Uneasy, Sora looked down as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry… that I haven't been able to come by…"

Kairi shrugged a little. She didn't seem upset. "It's okay. My parents didn't want me to have any visitors and I was sleeping most of the time."

The two headed out of the school and on their way home. Sora walked Kairi home so that he could spend a little more time with her. After they reached the door, they turned toward each other. "Guess I'll see you soon."

Kairi gave a slight nod. "See you soon."

Neither one would take their eyes off the other. "Kairi?" Sora stepped forward as he lifted his arm hesitant, but then stopped. His eyes traveled to the side a little uneasy. "I'm…I'm sorry."

Then Kairi stepped forward toward him. Her arms wrapped around his waist as her head leaned against his chest. Her eyes lowered to a close. "You're here. That's all that matters." Sora was surprised by her reaction. Then he relaxed against her and wrapped her arms around her as he closed his eyes. He was glad that she was okay.

* * *

Neither one of them had expected this day to come and neither one of them were prepared for it. Kairi held her head down with her fingers intertwined together in front of her. She didn't want to think about it. She wasn't ready for this day to come ever since she heard.

Behind him, the rest of the car was packed. In front of his friends, he grinned despite how sad he was. Wakka placed his hands behind his head. "We're going to miss you guys."

Tidus nodded. "Yeah!"

"Make sure that you write!" Selphie said.

Sora nodded toward them along with Roxas. "You got it!"

Riku headed toward him. "Hey!" He pinned Sora under his arm and rubbed the top of his head with his fist. "Make sure that you come back and visit us!"

Sora let out a laugh. "Of course!" He turned his attention to Namine who smiled toward him. "Here." She handed them both a piece of paper. It was a drawing of everyone on the island. "It's all of us so you won't forget."

Sora shook his head as he smiled. "I wouldn't forget about you guys." Namine continued to smile at him. Apart of her wanted to say what she was feeling, but she kept it to herself. They spend some more time talking before everyone waved goodbye. Sora and Roxas waved toward them until they disappeared out of sight. Namine looked back noticing that Kairi didn't follow. She had been silent throughout their goodbye. Roxas turned and headed toward the house to grab the last of their things. Sora looked back as he watched Roxas leave. Then he breathed in as he closed his eyes. This was going to be the hardest goodbye of all. Saddened he looked back. "Kairi-."

Slightly she shook her head. He wasn't happy about leaving her behind especially feeling about her the way he did. Finally, her eyes lifted up to his.

"Sora!" They looked over to see his mother calling. Roxas waved toward Kairi before he got inside of the car.

Sora turned his attention back to her. "I better go…"

"Right…" She reached into her pocket. "Before you go, I have something for you." Sora became curious. She opened her hand. "It's my lucky charm. I want you to have it."

Sora looked down at it curiously then looked at her surprised. "What?"

"Remember the lucky charm that I made last year when me, you, and Riku had the idea to build the raft and see if we could find other worlds?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah."

Kairi placed the charm inside his hand. "Since we couldn't go sailing, I just kept it as good luck charm, but now I should give it to someone important to me. I thought it might bring you luck wherever you go."

Sora took her hand that gave him the charm. "Well instead of the charm… can I just carry you around everywhere with me?" he teased, nervously.

Kairi grinned. "Well you can't always have me with you so you might want to take the charm."

Sora grinned and stared at the charm for a little. Then, his expression changed to surprise. He noticed something different from when he saw it last. When he saw it last, she was still making it out of shells. "Kairi? Is that supposed to be my face on it?"

Kairi smiled. "Yes it's supposed to be you."

Sora grinned. "That makes it better." The joke made her giggle. He placed the charm into his pocket. "Thanks Kairi." Then a thought came to mind. "Oh! I should probably give you something in return." He reached around his neck and unwrapped his chain with a crown attached. "Here. I'll give you something that's important to me."

Kairi looked surprised. "You don't have to."

Sora smiled as he put his necklace in her hand. "I want to."

She let out a gentle smile. "Don't forget…Where ever you go, I'm always with you." That had brought a smile to his face. She turned and started walking away. Maybe it was better leaving it at that.

Suddenly she felt her hand being grabbed. Sora looked at her determined. "Kairi! I'm always with you too." She turned more toward him as he grabbed onto her other hand. "I'll come back to you. I promise."

She stared at him stunned. His words had touched her. "I know you will."

A moment of silence stood between them. There was a lot they wanted to say to each other, but there wasn't enough time. Soon his hand slipped out of hers. Saying the words goodbye would have been too much. She watched until he was out of sight. Once they left, she headed toward the island. She brought her boat to the dock and stood out on the sand alone. From out in the ocean, she could see the boat that would carry them to another mainland. She watched until it had gone out of sight.

Like that, he was gone.

Time had seemed to fly by after as she stood there. Reminiscing over old times, she headed toward the secret cave where they used to play when they were younger. She glanced over the drawings they had made all around. Her hand traced around the walls. Then she stumbled across a drawing the two of them had made together. It was one they drew of each other. Her fingers skimmed over the edges of the drawing that she had made of Sora. Suddenly she noticed something that had made her heart stop. There was a drawing of a papou fruit that was drawn toward her. She had visited the cave a few times, but this was the first that she had seen of it. She figured that Sora must've drawn it before he left. It had touched her deeply. A tear slipped out of her eye as she couldn't help but smile. Her finger went up to her lips. She kneeled down and grabbed a stone from off of the ground. She stayed there a few minutes before she stepped away. She created a papou of her own going toward the drawing of Sora. Seeing the two connect brought more tears to her eyes. Not just for what she saw, but for the fact that he was now gone.

As time had passed, she started going to the island less and less until she had stopped going altogether. It had brought up too many memories...

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!  
_


	16. Sibling Rivalry: The Past Part 2

__**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story and adding this to your favorites and alerts! For those who've already read 'Sibling Rivalry' separately, this is the next chapter with no changes. If you haven't read yet, I hope that you'll like the next chapter! __

* * *

_Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Namine side of the story)_

 _Chapter 15: The Past Part 2:_

 _One year ago…_

"Kairi!" Kairi turned around surprised at the sound of her name being called. This was usually one of the days she walked home from school alone. Sometimes that was what she had preferred. Once she saw Selphie, she smiled. Selphie grinned toward her. "Mine if I walk with you?"

Kairi nodded a little. "Sure."

The two started walking together along the road. Selphie leaned forward toward her. "So… Wakka and Tidus were planning to go to island today! Do you want to go?"

Kairi gave her an uneasy look. "Not today."

Selphie stopped as she groaned. "You never want to go anymore..."

Kairi stared forward toward the ocean. "I just… haven't felt like it for a long time."

Curious, Selphie tilted her head toward her. "How come?" Kairi stopped in place. She knew why but kept it to herself. Today just didn't seem like the day to go. Selphie shook her shoulder, making her snap out of her thoughts. "Kairi? Kairi!" Selphie let out another groan. "Awe…! Why won't you tell me what's on your mind?"

Kairi breathed out. "I guess I've just been…having these dreams..."

Selphie blinked surprised and interested. "What kind of dreams? Are they scary?"

"No. Just of someone…that I used to know…" Usually the feeling left her to talk about it. She started walking ahead of Selphie. Thinking about the dreams had left her feeling down. She could see the latest one clearly like some of the others. In them, he was always there, the boy that she wished to see again standing in the ocean near the shore with his back turned to her. He would never turn around no matter if she had called out for him or tried to reach him. For some reason, her voice could never reach him and her feet could never move no matter how hard she tried. The dream would end with him looking back, but she could never make out his face clearly. Dreams like that haunted her. She wanted to keep the island far from her mind.

Selphie looked surprised as she noticed that Kairi seemed zoned out again. "Kairi?" Kairi didn't respond. She had become lost in the memory of _him_.

* * *

"I hope you don't mind me coming over," Kairi said as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Aqua lifted her head as she was crafting. She sat at the head of her bed as Kairi sat on the opposite end. "I don't mind at all. It's been a while since you've been here. I'm surprised."

Kairi grinned nervously. "I know...I'm sorry that I haven't come over more often…"

Aqua shook her head to assure her it was okay. "I haven't been here most of the time anyway."

Uneasy, Kairi looked toward the bed. "I just… had to get away for a while…"

Aqua lifted her head. "Oh?"

Kairi's eyes traveled toward the side as she thought back. "Everyone talks about going back to island and Selphie really wants me to go back, but I don't…really want to..."

Aqua looked curious. "You used to go all the time with Riku. What changed?"

Kairi smiled a little. "It used to be the three of us: me, Riku, and…" What was left of her smile had slowly disappeared.

Aqua took notice. She took a second to read Kairi's expression. She seemed sad. It was then she decided to change the subject. She smiled a little toward her. "I see you're still wearing your grandmother's necklace."

Kairi was surprised that she brought that up, but then smiled and nodded. "When we were little, you put a spell on it so that nothing bad would happen."

"I wish I had magic to do that." Her eyes traveled to the side uneasy. "Then maybe nothing bad will happen to any of my friends."

Kairi looked curious. It sounded like something else was on her mind. "Aqua?"

"Hm?" Aqua shook her head. "It's nothing…" She smiled a little. "So why don't you want to go to the island with the others?" Kairi looked off to the side uneasy. Since that wasn't a place Aqua usually went to, she thought about telling her. Maybe she could understand. Aqua tilted her head. "What is it?"

Kairi looked down toward. It seemed that Aqua was making more charms. Kairi picked one of them up. "Why do you keep making these? Do they really work?"

Aqua smiled gently. "I would like to think so. I wanted to make them for my friends so no matter where we go in life, we can find our way back to each other. I wanted to give these before we graduate. Where's the one that you made?" she asked curious.

Nervously Kairi looked at her. "I… gave mine away."

Aqua looked surprised. "Really? I thought you were using it for your raft trip."

A small crossed Kairi's lips as she thought back. "That didn't happen so I gave it to someone."

Aqua became curious. "Who?"

Kairi stared out of the window, distant. "He's far away right now. He might not have it anymore…"

Aqua put her stuff down and smiled gently. "Who is this person? Someone I know?"

Kairi shook her head and looked down sad. "It doesn't matter…"

Aqua placed her finger to her chin. "That was your lucky charm. This person must be special for you to give that away." Aqua smiled supportive as she leaned back. "You're going to make me guess at this aren't you?" She leaned back against her pillow. "I see the two of you spend a lot of time together so I thought maybe you were interested in Riku?"

Kairi lied down on her bed. "He's my best friend. He's really nice, kind, strong, but…"

Aqua arched her eyebrow. "But…?" Kairi fiddled around with her fingers as she grew silent. Aqua tilted her head. "Kairi?"

Kairi breathed out. "I guess that is what everyone thinks... Maybe I should…"

Aqua leaned forward toward her. "Don't go with a guy just because everyone thinks you should be together."

Kairi tilted her head back to look at Aqua. "You mean like how everyone thinks of you and Terra?"

Aqua looked off to the side uneasy. "Sort of…I guess…" Kairi looked down, thinking. Maybe it was time to get over her feelings and move on, but it wasn't easy. Aqua breathed out. "You could just come out and say it. You don't have to keep it inside." Kairi's eyes widened in surprised at Aqua's words. "I asked Ven and I tried asking Vanitas, which wasn't easy, but… they both said they haven't heard from Sora for a while." Kairi turned on her side as she looked surprised. Aqua looked down disappointed. "Turns out they haven't heard from him in months. The last thing they heard was that they moved a few times, but after that, they haven't heard from him."

Kairi looked down disappointed as well. A knot formed in her stomach as she placed her hand on top of it. "I see… I haven't heard from him either since he left." Kairi sat up. "I was starting to think that you had forgotten about him."

Aqua smiled. "There was another boy you used to be around a lot. I couldn't forget that. He's Ven's and Vanitas's brother, plus not too long ago, you did ask if I had heard anything."

A light pink tint came to Kairi's cheeks. Maybe she had become trapped in her own thoughts for too long. "Sorry…"

"So he's the one you gave your charm to?" Kairi nodded at Aqua's question. "You must really miss him."

Kairi stared down. It took her a second to say what she was thinking. "I do…more than anything…"

Aqua started to understand more of why she was sad. "You guys used to play on that island a lot. Is that why you don't want to go?" Kairi looked down as she nodded. Aqua leaned toward her with a supportive smile. "That's fine. You don't have to go there because everyone else does. You must've shared some special memories there." Instantly a bittersweet smile appeared on Kairi's lips. They really had, but to think of that cave drawing had made her sad most of all. "You can come here if you don't want to go with your friends."

Kairi nodded, grateful. "Thanks Aqua." Aqua nodded back. She went back to creating her wayfinders. Then Kairi spoke something else that was on her mind, "It's also hard because of…the dreams…"

Aqua raised her eyes surprised and curious. "Dreams…?"

Kairi became lost in thought as she remembered them. "Even when I try not to think of him, he appears in my dreams and in them I can never reach him and then he would just…disappear."

Aqua knew it must've been hard for her. "Sorry…"

Kairi breathed out as she looked down. "It seems like I can't forget."

Aqua shook her head and then smiled at her. It was understandable. "You don't forget someone important like that."

Kairi shook her head. "No. I can't." A smile seeped through Aqua's lips at how strongly Kairi felt. She hadn't seen her this determined. Kairi looked at Aqua as she heard her laugh quietly. "What is it?"

Aqua looked up. "I was just wondering… if maybe…"

"What?" Kairi asked surprised.

A little nervous, Aqua wanted to point it out. "Sounds like you're in love…" Instantly Kairi's face turned red. Any response became caught in her throat. Aqua smiled. She already had her answer. "It's okay you know."

Kairi looked concerned. Nothing inside of her denied it. "Have you ever been?"

Aqua tilted her head to the side as she put her finger to her lips. "Hmm… I'm not sure." Her mind had gone over people she knew. For others she knew, it was easy to know how she felt about them. They were either her friends or family, but there were two boys she couldn't pinpoint how she felt about.

Kairi looked toward the window as she breathed out. "It's been over a year…"

Aqua left her thoughts. "It doesn't mean you'll never see each other again. Just give it time."

Kairi sighed. She didn't have much of a choice. All she could do is hope. "Thank you."

Aqua nodded as she smiled gently. "Anytime."

* * *

In class, Kairi leaned her head against her hand. Beyond the horizon, she could see the island in the distance. Part of her debated about going back, but she never could bring herself to. Things had just felt… different. "Kairi?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see the teacher staring down at her. Had she been caught not paying attention to something she had asked? "Yes ma'am?"

"We have a new transfer student and as a representative of the class, I thought that you could help show her around."

Kairi nodded. "Sure."

* * *

Inside of the art room, Namine sat alone on a stool as she was drawing on an easel. After school was done, she usually liked to use the art room alone so that she could concentrate. Kairi peeked inside. She figured that was where she would find her. "Hey!"

Namine looked back as Kairi walked over. "Hi!" she said surprised.

Kairi smiled toward her. "You can head home without me. There's something I have to do after school."

Namine was curious as to why but decided not to ask. "All right."

Kairi gave her a gentle smile. As Namine went back to her art, Kairi became lost in thought. She noticed that Namine seemed more distance since a year ago. Interested, Kairi walked over and looked inside of her drawing pad. "What have you been drawing lately?"

Namine kept her eyes to her easel. "Nothing much. Just landscapes."

Kairi flipped through a few pages, but then noticed one that caught her attention. In an older drawing, she saw the back of a girl holding hands with a boy. Right away, she recognized who they were. An uneasy feeling came in her stomach. "You… have a lot of drawings of Sora don't you?" Surprised Namine looked over to see what had made her say that. She saw the open notebook on her table. Quickly she closed it, embarrassed. Kairi knew that she liked Sora, but she wondered just how much. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to-."

"Kairi? Namine?" The two looked back to see Riku in the doorway.

Still on edge about what happened, Kairi let out an uneasy smile. "Hi Riku." She turned back to Namine, focusing on the reason she came. "I just wanted to let you know about after school so you didn't have to wait for me." Afterwards, Kairi walked away. The feeling of unease didn't leave Namine either. It was one subject that they didn't talk about. Thoughts of Sora did cross her mind and it had made her sad that he wasn't around.

Out in the hall, Kairi walked beside Riku. "I heard that Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus wanted to invite some people to the island and have some kind of party. We could go over together."

An apologetic smile appeared on Kairi. "Maybe next time…"

They stopped in the hallway and turned more toward each other. "Are you sure?"

Kairi nodded. Nervously she smiled. "Sorry…I know that I haven't been much fun to hang around…"

He smiled back. "It's okay." Then a thought crossed her mind. There were doubts, but since Sora and he were best friends, maybe Riku had heard something. "Kairi?"

"Hm?" She snapped out of her thoughts and focused on Riku.

"What is it?" Riku asked curious.

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I have to meet up with someone. I'll let you know if I change my mind." She gave one last smile before she took off. Riku watched as she disappeared. He noticed the change in her. She seemed more reserved and distance. Thoughts came up as to why. It all seemed like it led to one thing or really one person.

* * *

Kairi searched around, but then spotted a dark, short haired girl standing alone near the front door of the school. She smiled and walked over. "Are you…Xion?" The girl looked at her on edge and curious. It took a second before she nodded. Kairi gave her a smile to assure her. "My name's Kairi! I've been asked to show you around. You're new here right?" Xion nodded as she grabbed onto the strap of her bag. Kairi noticed that she seemed uneasy. She thought that maybe there was a way she could fix that. "Let's meet here tomorrow morning. That way I can show you where everything is, but for now, are you doing anything?" Xion looked at her surprised. "I can show you some places in town and we can grab something to eat." Xion's eyes traveled down uneasy. Kairi tried to read her. She decided to go with what she thought would help. "It could be my treat."

Xion shook her head. "I…can't." she spoke quietly. Kairi wrapped her arm around Xion's free arm which surprised Xion. Kairi wasn't going to take no for an answer. It seemed like Xion could use a friend and she was up for making a new one. Maybe it could help her forget.

* * *

As the sun started to set, Kairi walked home tired along the road. School was done and so were her afterschool activities. The past few days had kept her busy. Mainly she had been spending time getting to know Xion and becoming her friend. She didn't think keeping herself busy would be enough to keep her tired, but she had felt it a lot more lately and she wasn't sure why. She pressed her hand to her head as she closed her eyes and breathed out. After the dizziness passed, she shook her head. Then, she started walking. Taking the long way home, she passed by several houses. Her eyes gazed out over the ocean that surrounding the island. She reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle.

"Kairi!" Kairi looked over to see Selphie run toward her and stop in front of her surprised. "Kairi? You don't usually come down this way."

Kairi smiled a little. "I just thought I would take a different way this time."

Selphie stepped beside her curious. "What are you doing?" Kairi kneeled down and pushed the bottle further out into the ocean. "What is that?"

Kairi watched as it floated further into the ocean as she gave a hopeful smile. "It's a letter that I wrote. Inside are my feelings that I wasn't able to say before. Maybe, just maybe, it would reach him. It's wishful thinking, but even if it doesn't reach him, at least it's out there." A breeze blew passed her, pushing the bottle further along. She placed her hand against her hair.

Selphie looked surprised. "Who's it for?" Kairi's lips curved up more as his words came to her head. Even if it took another few years, she still hoped that she would see him again. Selphie blinked surprised. "Kairi?"

"You'll come back. Right…Sora?"

Selphie looked surprised and then smiled a little. The two stayed there for a little longer, watching the ocean.

Afterwards, they headed back home. As they passed by the houses, one in particular had caught Kairi's eye. She stopped. The house looked the same as when it was emptied. She stepped closer. A lot of memories came up which made her happy and sad at the same time. Selphie took a look at the house. "Oh! This used to be his house right?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah."

Selphie put her hands to her hips as she looked around. "This place has been abandoned since he left."

"Yeah…" Suddenly Kairi felt the dizziness hit her again. She closed her eyes tight as she pressed her hand to her head.

Selphie noticed and started to get a little worried. "Kairi?" Kairi's face relaxed as things started to turn black. She breathed out and fell against the ground. Quickly Selphie went to her side and checked on her. "Kairi! Are you okay? Kairi!" It took some time, but Kairi closed eyes tight. She breathed out as she woke up. Kairi sat up as Selphie looked at her concerned. "Kairi! Are you okay?!"

"I just felt dizzy all of a sudden." Selphie helped Kairi to stand up.

"Here! Let me help you home." The two started walking. Kairi wasn't sure what came over her.

* * *

"You're still burning up." Kairi's mother placed her hand against her forehead. Her bangs stuck to her forehead as there was sweat. "Get plenty of rest. With the medicine, the fever should break."

Kairi smiled a little. "I will." Her mother gave her a small smile before she walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, Namine stepped into her room. "Kairi." Kairi sat up a little as she smiled. Namine sat beside her. "How are you feeling today?"

Kairi breathed out a little. "Tired a lot."

Namine looked worried. "Then you should sleep and I'll check on you later."

Kairi gave a tired smile. "Thanks Namine."

Namine smiled back as she nodded. "Get better soon."

After Namine left, Kairi lied down against her pillow. She turned her head toward the window as she relaxed. Beyond, she could see the houses that had led out to the ocean. Over the horizon was the island. Her eyes lowered to a close. Sleep had overtaken her and sent her into a dream with the same view of the island. The only difference was that she could see a familiar face waving toward her with the same dorky grin that he always had.

As the sun was over the island, the bottle she sent out earlier had brushed against the sand of the island.

The next day, a pair of feet had stopped and noticed the bottle that had landed. Taking it, the person had reached in and took the letter out of the bottle. Reading over the words, a smile appeared. Their eyes up from the paper toward the ocean. It was finally time.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	17. Sibling Rivalry: The Past Part 3

__**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story and adding this to your favorites and alerts! For those who've already read 'Sibling Rivalry' separately, this is the next chapter with no changes. If you haven't read yet, I hope that you'll like the next chapter!__

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Namine side of the story)_

 _Chapter 16: The Past Part 3:_

A few days later, after she was feeling a little better, Kairi returned back to school. Sleeping most of the time while she was out had made her feel a lot better. "Kairi!"

Curious, Kairi glanced back as she heard the familiar voice. Once she saw who it was, she let out a smile. "Xion."

Xion gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay? Are you feeling better?"

Kairi nodded. "I'm fine. Nothing a little rest couldn't fix." They started walking together as she spoke. "It felt like it came out of nowhere, but I'm a lot better now." Soon, Xion let out a smile. One that Kairi didn't see often. It made her smile as well.

Inside of the art room, Namine was sitting at her desk as she finished the last touches on her drawing while the room was still quiet. After some time, she stood up from her desk and headed toward the door. Before she stepped out of the door, her eyes lifted up as she noticed something come in front of her. Instantly, she froze in place as her eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. First, she had noticed the familiar smile. "Hey…Namine." A gasp escaped from her lips. Her pencil slipped from her hands and dropped to the floor, breaking the point.

As school came to an end, Kairi and Xion walked through the halls, getting ready to head home. As they spoke, out of the corner of her eye, Kairi caught a glimpse of something that seemed familiar. Ahead in the crowded hall, walking across her view, she noticed brown, spiked hair. Stunned, she stopped in place as her eyes widened and her lips parted. It couldn't have been... She caught a glimpse of his face. Several things ran through her mind. Maybe she hadn't been completely over her fever. Maybe she thought about her dreams too much. Had her mind decided to play tricks on her? Either way, she had to know. As quickly as she could, she moved her way through the crowd, but it wasn't easy with many people around. It seemed that the person she was after disappeared out of sight. "Sora!" Xion was surprised by her reaction. When Kairi searched around, she then noticed other people around her staring at her as well. She shook her head as she put her hand to her face.

Xion caught up with her as the crowd started to clear a little. "Are you okay Kairi?"

Kairi shook her head again and stared down sad. This was getting out of control…

Later, the two sat at a table outside of a small café. Kairi couldn't lift her eyes from the ground. So many thoughts ran through her mind. It felt embarrassing believing in something that wasn't there. Xion noticed that Kairi had remained quiet throughout. Usually Kairi would be the one who would start the conversation, but not this time. "So…? Who's…Sora?" she asked nervously.

Kairi continued to stare down. Xion wondered if she would answer her. Then Kairi lifted her head. There was confusion and worry written on her face. "Xion?"

Xion looked a little surprised. "Yes?"

The question made her feel uneasy, but she had to know. "Did you happen to see... a boy with brown spiky hair walk by us?"

Xion shook her head. "No. You took off and you called for Sora, but that was all I saw." Kairi was afraid of that. Maybe she really had listened to her dreams for too long. "Who is he?"

Behind her eyes, Xion could see her sadness. "Oh? He…used to be a friend of mine. That's all."

Xion looked curious. "That's all?"

Kairi stood up as she looked disappointed. "That's all. I'm going to go. I'll see you later." Xion watched as she walked away. The disappointment of not seeing the boy she wanted to see really had her down.

As Kairi walked home, she thought about calling Aqua to help clear her head since their conversation helped last time, but then she thought it was better to be alone for a little while. After she arrived home, she changed out of her uniform and sat at her desk. Homework became a good distraction at that moment. Suddenly she heard the doorbell ring. She thought about letting it go, but then realized that no one else was home to get it. The doorbell rang again. She breathed out. She wasn't in the mood for visitors. Downstairs, she opened the door. To her surprise, she saw the familiar blue haired girl. She was breathing hard as if she had run all the way there. "Kairi!"

Kairi stood in the door, surprised. "Aqua?" She stepped aside to let her come in. "What are you doing here?" She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to Aqua. "What's going on?" Kairi asked curious.

Aqua breathed out. "It's good news. I promise. I stopped by to deliver a message."

Kairi blinked, curious. It sounded urgent. "What is it…?"

Aqua sat on the stool as she smiled. "I think that you should go back to the island. Now."

Kairi frowned a little. That didn't sound like news much less good. "Aqua…" She sat on the stool across from her. She looked down, thinking about what happened earlier that day. "I-."

"You have to trust me on this one." Kairi lifted her eyes to hers. Aqua smiled in reassurance. "Trust me…Go." Kairi felt uneasy, but Aqua wouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't important. Kairi couldn't deny that. After the two parted, she headed on her way. She got in her boat and headed toward the island. Along the way, she couldn't understand why Aqua wanted her to go. Everything inside of her told her to just go home, but she wouldn't deny her friend's request. Nothing had really changed. The look and sound of the ocean all had felt familiar. She tied her boat ashore and stepped onto the dock. Soon, she gazed out over the ocean. She still didn't understand why Aqua told her to come. Thoughts began to enter her mind, but mainly her memories. She waited for a few minutes before she sighed. "Maybe…waiting isn't good enough."

For a long time, she had been waiting for him to return, but maybe now was the time to do something. She would do her best to find him again. She walked onto the dock and started unwrapping the rope that kept her boat ashore. Then she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Out in the ocean, she noticed something floating toward her. She stood up straight and watched as it had approached closer. Her eyes squinted, unable to recognize what was approaching at first. Then her eyes lifted as her lips parted in surprise. Her hand pressed against her chest. It couldn't have been. A boat approached her, but this time it had a familiar face. This had reminded her of the dreams she had before. She questioned if it had been another one. "Kairi!"

Her body jumped at the call of her name. The emotions she held in had hit her all at once. It wasn't a dream. Not this time. "Sora!"

A big grin came on his face. Neither one couldn't wait to meet the other. Once he got closer to the shore, he jumped out and pulled the boat with him. Since he was heading toward her, she would do the same. Quickly she tossed off her shoes and rushed into the water with an excited grin. As her feet ran against the sand, she slipped and fell forward. The rope to the boat slipped through his fingers as he approached closer. Instantly Sora wrapped his arms around her waist as Kairi wrapped her arms around his neck. Surprised, he fell back as she fell forward, letting out a short yell. Sora sat up sit holding onto her as she kept her arms tightly around his neck. There was a look of relief on her face. The two stayed in a wet embrace. "This is real…" she let the words slip from her lips. They could feel the waves crashing against them, but it didn't matter at that moment. Neither one was willing to let the other go.

Minutes passed before the two reluctantly parted from each other, but still keeping their smiles on. Sora glanced back toward the water to see his boat being carried away by the ocean. He let out a nervous laugh. "Oh! I guess I better get that..."

Kairi let out a giggle. This was the happiest that she had felt in a while. Her forehead pressed against his as they both closed their eyes. "I missed you so much," she whispered between them. Her feelings felt as if they were pouring out her. She had held them in for so long.

Sora couldn't help but smile as well. "I missed you too."

When she thought about the year they spent apart, Kairi glanced down sad. Her arms stayed wrapped around his neck. "When I stopped hearing from you…a part of me thought…I wouldn't see you again…"

"I promised I would come back to you." Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out her lucky charm.

A quiet laugh slipped out from her lips. "You still kept it…"

"Of course!" His eyes never left hers.

Kairi took a second to get a good look at him. "You've changed." Her fingers touched the pointed spikes of his hair. He looked a little more mature than when she saw him last.

"You're the one who's changed Kairi." His fingers ran along the ends of her hair. It was definitely longer than when he saw her last.

Kairi smiled as she breathed out. "Maybe I have…" Being around him again made her feelings overwhelmed. After being apart all this time, it made her realize just how important he was to her. How much she had missed him. How much she really loved him. She leaned in closer toward him as her eyes lowered to a close. Softly she pressed her lips against his as his eyes widened, stunned.

When she parted from him, he continued to stare at her stunned. "Kairi…"

Kairi blinked surprised. What had she done? She had gotten caught in the moment being around him again. Her cheeks flushed with a deep red as her eyes widened. "I… I'm…" A smile curved at his lips as she gave him an innocent look. "It's-It's just… after all this time…" She looked down as she breathed in. "I…I…" She lifted her eyes to him. "I love you…" Uneasy she watched his reaction.

At first, Sora seemed a little surprised, but then he gave a gentle smile. Her eyes searched his, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Then Kairi looked down disappointed. Maybe he didn't feel the same way. Suddenly she felt herself being pulled closer. She lifted his head surprised. "Come with me." Kairi wondered what he was up to. They got up and stepped out of the water. Afterwards, Sora pulled his boat to the dock and tied it securely. The two began walking along the shore with their feet against the sand. Sora smiled gently toward her. "I got the letter you sent me."

Kairi looked over curious. "Letter?"

Sora nodded toward her. "Before we came back, I stopped here the day before we moved in. I found a bottle with a letter inside. I saw it was from you."

A giggle slipped out of her lips. She didn't expect things to work out the way they did. "I wasn't sure if it would ever reach you." Then Kairi stopped in place uneasy. "I tried sending other letters, but they never seemed to reach you."

Sora rubbed the back of his head nervous. "Oh! At first, where we moved was where I thought we would stay, but things didn't work out with my mom's job and we ended up moving around a lot."

Kairi gave a concerned look. "I was starting to get worried when no one said they heard from you."

Sora gave her an uneasy smile. "Sorry about that…"

Kairi smiled gently toward him. "I'm just glad that…you're here now."

Sora nodded toward her. "Me too." He stretched his arms and placed them behind his head. "I'm starting to get hungry."

"I am too." She felt nervousness dwell in her stomach at the thought of her next question. Her eyes traveled over to the tree in the distance. "Well…I always thought that we could share…" Her eyes met with his. "…the papou fruit."

There was a moment of silence between them as they stopped. She still couldn't read what he was thinking. She thought that maybe he wanted to share it with her as well. Then Sora walked passed her as she looked down disappointed. Maybe that was her answer. Even after showing her feelings again, he didn't respond back. "There's something you should see first." Kairi looked back surprised as he walked away. She followed him passed the waterfall into the secret cave. As he led her in, she searched around for some sort of clue as to what he was up to. Then they stopped toward the end of the cave. Right away she remembered the drawing. Sora kneeled down in front of the wall and looked back at her as he smiled. "Remember this?"

Kairi smiled as she put her hands behind her back. "How could I forget?"

"When I came back, I saw this." Her eyes watched him, wondering what he was thinking. Sora stood up and turned toward her as he smiled gently. Right away, her eyes noticed that he had a papou fruit in his hand. She didn't see when he got it or where he had pulled it from. Sora stepped in front of her and held out the fruit.

Kairi took it from his hand and took the first bite. "If two people share this, their destines become intertwined. Forever…" Her eyes traveled down. "If you don't want to…I understand if-."

Sora took the fruit from her hand and took a bite out of the same place she did. "That's fine with me." A smile appeared on her lips. He stepped in closer. Soon he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. It caught her by surprise, but then she gave in and closed her eyes. Then they parted as they opened their eyes to each other. "I love you too," he whispered. Happiness filled her hearing those words. He was back and he had felt the same as her. Their foreheads touched as their eyes lowered to a close. The two leaned in and kissed passionately, putting in years of want into their kiss. His hand slid against his cheek, pushing the hair back from her ear as her fingers slid against the back of his neck and begun digging into the strands of his chestnut colored hair. A few minutes later, the two parted to reclaim their breath. Their breath felt warm against their skin. Both of them grinned as their eyes met.

Later, they sat on the sand watching the ocean hit the shore. They had finished eat the rest of the papou fruit. Sora noticed that she hadn't stopped smiling. He hadn't stopped either. At last, they finally gotten what they wanted.

The next day at school, the two walked hand in hand through the hall. Behind them nearby, Riku was able to spot them. Sora was talking as Kairi had let out a laugh toward him. Noticing how they were, he figured that things had worked out between them. A faint smile appeared on his lips. Then his eyes traveled down as he thought about the conversation between Sora and him a few days before...

 _On the island, Sora sat on the papou tree as he stared out over the ocean. There was a serious look on his face. "Sora!" The voice distracted him from his thoughts. Nearby, Riku headed toward him. Sora let out a smile after seeing his friend. Riku stood beside him and leaned against the tree with his arms crossed. "What are you doing out here?"_

 _Sora breathed out. He had a lot on his mind since he returned back to the island, but there was one thing he wanted to resolve more than anything. "Just thinking about stuff."_

" _How does it feel being back?"_

 _Sora smiled. "I really missed you guys. I'm glad to be back." Then he looked toward the ground as he sighed._

 _Riku looked surprised. "What is it?"_

" _Kairi…" Riku looked at him curious. Sora's eyes traveled between him and the ground. "Do you know if she's… seeing anyone?"_

 _Riku shook his head. "No. She's not."_

" _Now that I'm back, I want to tell her…how I feel but…" Sora glanced over at Riku. Memories of when they were younger came to mind. They both were competitive for her attention. It had almost caused a rift between them. He didn't want to lose their friendship, but he also didn't want to lose the girl who was the most important to him._

 _Silent lingered between them. Then Sora looked over surprised as he heard Riku say, "You should tell her." He looked toward the ground as he thought back. "She's been pretty distance since you left. She stopped going to the island altogether. I think she didn't want to go if you weren't there." Sora was surprised by what he told him. Riku looked over at him serious. "I think she feels the same way about you." As he smiled, he nodded toward Sora. "It's okay."_

 _Sora let out a smile. He jumped down from the giant branch. Their fists bumped. "Thanks." He took off toward the dock. Soon, he would plan on telling her._

 _Riku watched as Sora left. He wasn't going to stand in the way of how they felt for each other. He was happy for them. It was something he knew he had to get over._

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	18. The Runaways: Remember Me

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for reading! Here's the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, Riku, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 17: Remember Me:_

Xion brushed off her uniform, getting ready for another day of high school. Before she stepped out of the room, she glanced toward her desk. She noticed a seashell near one of the corners. It was separate from the other shells that she kept beside each other on her desk. Everyday she saw them, but, no matter how often she saw them, no memory came from it. It was still a mystery to her. Curious, she stepped over and held the lone shell in her fingers. Then her eyes traveled over toward the remaining shells. It felt as if her memories deliberately blocked her from remembering. It had made her a little disappointed, but maybe it was for the best. She slipped the shell into her bag and took off for school.

* * *

"Kairi? Do you mind if I ask you something?"

Kairi looked over curious at Xion. "What is it?"

Xion reached into her bag and pulled out the shell. She already asked Kairi a couple of times, but the question still remained in her mind. Sometimes it felt overwhelming enough to ask again. "I know I asked before but… when I was in the hospital, are you sure you didn't see who left the shells for me?"

Kairi gave a sympathetic look as she shook her head. "No. Every time I came in, you just seemed to have more and the nurses wouldn't say anything. I guess whoever sent them asked them not to." Disappointed, Xion's eyes traveled down to the ground. Kairi tilted her head to see her face. "This has been really bothering you hasn't it?"

"I should probably get rid of them, but…I can't until I thank the person who gave them to me. Whenever I woke up, I saw a new shell and it made me happy. It made me look forward to getting a new shell every day and what it would look like." Feeling that she was going on too long, she nervously smiled at Kairi. "Sorry!"

Kairi let out a gentle smile. "It's all right. I'm glad that you were able to find something that made you happy after what happened."

Xion gave a grateful look. "You helped with that too. Thank you."

Kairi wrapped her arm around Xion's arm. "I knew that we would get along!"

Xion's eyes traveled down, thinking. "But it did…make me sad when the shells stopped all of a sudden. I never knew why."

"Maybe one day you'll remember. Then maybe one day you'll find out and you'll be able to thank them," Kairi sounded hopeful.

"Maybe…" Xion whispered.

After school was over for the day, Xion let out a sigh as she stared down at the large book in front of her. Usually she went to the library to study. She found the time she spent alone there relaxed her. Starting to feel tired, she closed the book and packed away her other books into her bag. As she walked out of the library, she fiddled around with her bag, trying to close it, but soon her books slipped out her bag. She kneeled down and started picking them up. Seconds later, another pair of hands started to help. Surprised, Xion lifted up her head. In front of her, she saw the blonde, spiked hair boy that she had seen before. At that moment, her mind couldn't recall his name. Once she packed her books away, they both stood up and faced each other. Xion felt a little uneasy as the boy stared at her. "Thank you." She turned and started walking away.

"Xion!" It wasn't often that he had a chance to see her so now this had to be his chance.

Xion looked over a little uneasy. "Um…?"

A disappointed look came on his face. "You still don't remember me do you…?"

Xion looked down. "…No."

He let out a sigh as his eyes traveled away from her. Then he looked curious as he noticed something on the floor. He leaned over and picked up a shell, giving it a curious look. "You still have it…" The words made Xion freeze in place. "At least one of them…"

What did he know about the shell and why would he say that specifically? Uneasy, Xion stepped toward him. She didn't know why she felt the way she did when she was around him. It seemed her body knew something her memories didn't. "How…How did you know about…?" She placed her hands together in front of her. "Who are you…?"

His eyes searched her. "It's me. Roxas." Through her eyes, he could see she still didn't remember.

"Roxas…" The name somehow felt familiar on her tongue, but she didn't know why. Xion looked curious. "How do you know about the seashel-?"

"Xion!" Xion looked back to see Riku heading toward her. He looked over surprised as he noticed Roxas behind her. "Hey!"

"Hey," Roxas replied back uneasy.

Riku turned his attention back to Xion. "Ready?" Xion nodded as she smiled toward him. She glanced back at Roxas before she walked away with Riku. Disappointment filled Roxas again. Maybe she really had moved on with her life. He didn't know when he would get the chance to see her again especially when it seemed that they were finally getting somewhere.

Xion stared down as she walked. Her thoughts were back in the hall where Roxas was. Then her eyes widened as she realized the shell she brought with her was gone. Riku noticed her reaction. "Something wrong?"

Xion shook her head and smiled toward him, erasing her thoughts. "It's nothing."

* * *

Roxas stared at the shell in his hand. It's been a few days since he last saw Xion. Since she still carried the shells, maybe there was a chance that she would still remember him. "Roxas? Roxas?"

Roxas snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Pence behind him. He gave him a concerned look. Olette and Hayner caught up with him. She looked concerned at him as well. "Are you okay? You were zoning out again."

Roxas smiled a little. "Sorry…! It's nothing."

Pence smiled. "Do you guys want to stop and get some sea salt ice cream?" Everyone nodded in agreement. They started walking as they talked with each other. Pence glanced down at Roxas's arm as he grinned. "So? Are you finally going to tell us how you got that scar on your arm?"

Roxas rubbed the back of his head as he looked uneasy. "Um…? Maybe another time?"

"Roxas?" Roxas looked in front of him surprised. His eyes met with a curious Xion.

Pence, Olette, and Hayner looked surprised. Roxas stepped forward. "Xion." He was surprised that he ran into her.

"I…had some free time. Could I ask about… something you said the other day?"

Roxas glanced back toward his friends. Hayner placed his hands on his shoulder as he smirked. "If you want to be left alone, then that's cool with us." They walked forward passed them as they waved him off.

Olette gave a comforting smile. "Just meet us at the usual place after you're done."

After they walked away, Roxas and Xion turned their attention to each other. "What was it that you wanted to ask me?" Xion glanced toward the ground before she looked up at him. Roxas looked curious toward her. "Do you want to go somewhere?" Xion nodded.

Together, they walked in silence until they made it toward the ocean. Both of them stood near the water as a cool breeze blew passed them. Roxas looked over at Xion wondering what she was thinking. Before he could ask, she spoke. "Were we…ever friends?"

The first question surprised him, but then he relaxed. "Yeah."

"Hmm…" Xion stared toward the ocean confused and concerned. "Then why can't I remember you…? I haven't been able to remember anything since my accident. When I try, I just can't." Xion looked over at him. "So I'm sorry if I can't remember you…" Xion held onto her hands in front of her. "I've been wondering for a while now who had left the shells for me by my bed in the hospital." She looked over curious. "Was it you?" Silently he nodded. A gentle smile came to her face. Now she finally knew who she could thank. "Thank you. I wanted to say that for the longest time."

A smile came to his face as well. "Back when we used to be together, you liked collecting them."

Xion looked toward the side. She still wondered why she couldn't remember him. She put her hand to the side of her face. "I still don't understand why I was in the hospital or why I can't remember-."

A deep frown came on his lips. "What happened to you wasn't an accident..."

Right away she looked over surprised. There was a dark tone to his voice. "What do you mean?"

His eyes stayed down as he looked serious. "Something bad happened and…I should have been there to help when you were in trouble." Words escaped her. It obvious that he knew what happened, but did she want to know? Overwhelmed, she looked toward the ground. He turned more toward her. "I'm sorry! I wanted to say that for a long time too."

Xion looked surprised. Then she noticed his arm. There was a long scar. "How…did you get that?"

Roxas glanced down at his arm. "After…you were in the hospital…I ended up there too."

She stared at him stunned. "Why?"

"I went after the person who hurt you…They ended up hurting me in return." It was a lot for her to take in. She thought about her own scars on her body. Who would have done this to them? More than that, was she sure if she wanted to remember what happened? "I've been waiting…to talk to you for a while now, but you don't seem to remember…" Xion breath shortened as she listened. It sounds like her not remembering had really hurt him. Roxas smiled a little toward her. "I'm just glad that you're okay."

He turned and started walking away, but then she reached out her hand toward him. "Wait! Roxas!" Roxas stopped as he looked surprised. "Will you… tell me a few other things?" A smile appeared on his lips. It seems that they really were getting somewhere.

Time had passed by them. Before they knew it, it was night. Xion blinked surprised as she looked up at the sky. Right away she noticed the stars. "Oh! I better get back." She smiled toward him. "Thank you Roxas."

Gently, he smiled back. Both of them stood up in front of each other. "I could walk you home if you want."

She nodded toward him. "Sure." Minutes later, they had reached her house. She smiled toward him again. "Thank you for walking me back."

He rubbed the back of his head as he smiled a little. "Maybe we can hang out like we used to."

"I would like that. I wished I could remember…"

At first, he hesitated as his hand lifted. Her voice had sounded sincere in wanting to know. "Do you want help remembering?" For a moment her eyes widened as she stared at him. She thought that she wanted to, but now she wasn't sure. Something inside of her was afraid of traveling back to the unknown. Then Roxas blinked surprised as he remembered something. "Oh!" He reached into his pocket. Then he grabbed onto her hand and turned it so that her palm was facing up. He placed his other hand on top. "Here!" Once he removed his hand, she saw a seashell.

Xion looked down surprised. "Oh! It's one of the shells that you gave me."

He let out a smile. "Yeah." Her eyes lifted up to his. At that moment, something had felt familiar between them. "Xion? Xion?!" Her lips parted as she seemed in a trance. "Xi-?"

"There were nights like this where we would just look up at the stars."

The words surprised him. "You actually remember?"

Xion looked at him surprised at what she said. "Sort of. I guess… it just feels like we've done this before. Am I right?"

"Yeah." In return, Xion was proud that she remembered. Relieved he smiled. It also made him happy as well to see her smile again. A feeling deep in his chest came over him as he watched her. Then he noticed that he was still holding onto her hand, but he wasn't ready to let go yet. He was glad to be around her again. He stepped closer toward her. "I'm glad…"

Xion took notice of how close they were, but she didn't seem to mind. She thought that she was familiar enough with him that she was comfortable being close to him. In silence, she stared in his eyes to see if something else came to her, but nothing else did. She took her hand away as his hand reached for her. "I should go." Uneasy she looked down. "Thanks for tonight." Xion glanced at him as she smiled. "Good night."

He gave a slight wave. "Good night…" He watched as she headed inside.

* * *

The thoughts of yesterday still weighed heavily on her mind and yet it was strange. It still felt like her memories of Roxas were a blur, yet familiar, but something inside of still kept her memories back from her. Yesterday kept going through her mind as she walked through the hall.

" _Well_ …I'm surprised that you would show your face again." Xion lifted her eyes surprised as she noticed someone step in front of her. In front of her, she saw a blonde, short haired hair girl with antenna strands hanging on each side of her head. She had piercing green eyes and a glaring smirk. Behind her she noticed two other guys. "Hello…?" Then she turned her attention back to the woman. "Psst! Don't act all innocence with me." She placed her fingers underneath Xion's chin. "You don't seem scared at all. So? You think you're tough now?"

Xion looked worried. "I…don't know what you mean."

The woman arched her eyebrow. "What?! You don't know me now?"

Xion shook her head. "No."

"Huh?!" She grabbed onto Xion's shirt. "You remember me now? This should remind you."

"Let her go Larxene!" Everyone looked over to see Roxas at the other end of the hall angry and on edge.

Behind Larxene, Axel looked surprised. "Roxas?!"

Zexion placed his fingers to his chin as he looked curious. "Roxas. I'm surprised that you would show your face."

Xion glanced between the two worried. Roxas baled his fist. "I said let go of her now!" Xion closed her eyes tight. At that moment, she felt overwhelmed. Flashes of images appeared in her mind. His voice had triggered something else inside of her. Her hands reached up and grabbed onto the sides of her head. It seemed like her mind tried to remember everything at once. She breathed out as she felt lightheaded. "Xion!" Roxas looked worried as Larxene let go of her and Xion dropped to the ground unconscious. Roxas rushed over and kneeled beside her. He checked on her but she didn't respond. Angry, he looked up toward Larxene as he growled toward her. "What did you do to her?!"

Larxene shrugged her shoulders as she smirked. "I didn't do anything. She just fainted. That's what happens when you're so weak." She turned around and started walking away. Zexion glanced back and walked behind her. Axel looked uneasy and concerned toward Roxas. As much as he wanted to say something, Roxas's glare kept him silent. Soon he turned and walked away as well.

Roxas watched until they were out of sight, then looked down at Xion. He placed his hand to her face. "Xion?!"

* * *

Later, Xion groaned as she closed her eyes tight. Then she opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling above her. _"Where…am I?"_

"Xion!" Her eyes traveled over to see a worried Kairi sitting by her bedside. "Xion are you okay?"

Riku stepped in beside her and sat down in the chair next to her. "Xion?!"

Xion sat up as she was surprised to see them. "What happened?"

Kairi grabbed onto her hand. "We heard that you fainted! Roxas found you and bought you here."

Xion lifted her eyes to see Roxas standing in the doorway. She was a little surprised to see him. The last thing she remembered was seeing him in the hallway. Xion smiled toward Riku and Kairi to assure them she was okay. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Kairi asked concerned.

Xion nodded. "Yeah." She glanced toward the door again. Roxas stared at her concerned before he turned and walked away. Xion placed her head down. Little by little, she started to remember why she fainted.

* * *

The next day, Xion walked out of the library. She stared down toward the floor. Now that she remembered some of her past, she wasn't sure how much more she wanted to remember. Then she noticed something that looked familiar. When she lifted her head, she saw Roxas walking toward her. Both of them mirrored the same concerned look. "Xion…"

"Roxas…"

"How are you? Any better?"

Xion nodded. "Yes. I didn't mean to make anyone worry."

Roxas looked toward the side. "I can't believe you ran into her again. If she would have tried to hurt you-." Then he noticed Xion stared down toward the floor. "Xion-?"

"I don't know if I want to remember anything else."

Roxas looked surprised. "What did you remember?"

Xion shook her head. "It doesn't matter. What I remembered, I didn't want to. Maybe it would be better if…" Xion started walking away. "Maybe it would be better if I don't remember."

Roxas reached out toward her. "Xion!" She stopped in place. He placed his hand back at his side. "I don't want you to forget again. Not about me."

Xion glanced behind her. There was a sad look on his face. She debated now whether or not to try. Soon she walked away. She needed time to think...

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	19. The Runaways: Breakthrough

__**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! Please enjoy the next chapter!__

* * *

 _The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, Riku, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 18: Breakthrough:_

The morning before school started, Xion sat up out of her bed. The past few days, her mind was consumed with thoughts over what happened with Larxene, and the memories of Roxas that came to her just from being near him again. From what she remembered so far, she thought she didn't want to remember anything else that happened in her past. There were things that scared her, but then she would remember the one good thing about her past… him. It made her wonder how close to him she really was. He started to change her mind about remembering her past. She wanted to know why he had the long scar on his arm, why he was in the hospital the same time she was, and if they were truly friends. She stood up out of her bed to get ready for school. If the answer came to her, she would be prepared for it.

* * *

Roxas leaned against the kitchen counter as he twirled the seashell he found at the beach slowly against the wood. Before, he intended to give it to Xion, but he didn't know what she would do. Would she accept it or throw it away because it would bring up the memories of their old days? His eyes lowered. He wondered if Xion had truly forgotten everything and him. He couldn't be sure, but so far, it seemed that way.

Sora walked over to the counter and sat down in front of him. He noticed that Roxas was deep in thought. Sora smiled. "Roxas!"

"Hm?" Roxas lifted his eyes to see the bright-eyed boy sitting across from him.

Sora tilted his head toward the side a little, curious. "What's got you so down?"

Roxas looked toward the counter. "Nothing…" he muttered.

Sora gave a comforting smile. "Hey! You can tell me. I thought that's what big brothers were for."

Roxas's eyes met with Sora's. He could see his sincerity. Then he thought that maybe he had a point. He could put Sora to the test. Maybe it would help him figure out what to do afterwards. Roxas stood up straight from the counter. "All right… There's this person I know... Well…We've known each other for a while, but then something happened to her." Disappointed, his eyes lowered toward the counter. "At first, she didn't seem to remember me, but now… I don't know whether she doesn't really remember me or if she's pretending not to."

Sora gave a sly smirk. " _So_ …It's a girl huh?" Roxas looked over surprised. Sora placed his hand to his head, curious. "Was she in an accident?"

Roxas decided not to give away too much away. "Something bad happened to her yes."

Sora looked at him confused. "Did she hit her head or something?" Roxas sighed with his eyes closed as he scratched the side of his head. He wasn't sure if Sora would be able to help without hearing the whole story. Across from him, Sora still wanted to help. "Well… maybe she did forget. I see it matters a lot to you." Roxas looked down. He knew it did. Sora could read it on his face. He leaned forward against the table. "You must care about her a lot to worry so much."

Roxas looked surprised. He thought that Sora was getting the wrong idea. "It's not like that."

Sora looked confused. "I just mean this girl must be a good friend of yours for you to want her to remember you again. If the two of you were good friends, then I don't think she would try to ignore you on purpose." Roxas thought that Sora brought up a point. He thought that Xion and him were good friends. Then, Sora gave a sly smirk as he pointed toward him. "Since I see your face going red… can I ask if you actually like her?"

Roxas looked nervous but upset. "Stop playing around Sora."

Sora looked down at his hand. "Is that seashell for her or did you started collecting those now?" Roxas didn't answer as he looked down at the shell. He wrapped his hand around it. Sora smiled. He was starting to get more of answer out of him. "Well…"

"I don't know if she would take this," Roxas replied lowly.

"If it's from you, then I'm sure she will," Sora assured him. Roxas looked up at him and smiled a little. "So does that mean you do like her?"

Roxas frowned toward him as Sora grinned. "Let it go..."

Sora shrugged. "I'm just saying if she's special to you, then you should tell her how you feel…" He smirked toward him as he pointed. "…or you could show her."

Roxas turned away from him. "Then you should tell Kairi how you feel."

Sora gave him a confused look. "What are you talking about? I'm already with Kairi."

Roxas arched his eyebrow. "Really? You hang out with Kairi and Namine so much that I couldn't tell which one was your girlfriend." Sora's eyes traveled toward the side. He knew Roxas was right. He could see the sad look on Kairi's face sometimes when he would spend time with Namine. Roxas didn't mean to make him sad, but he had to be honest so that he wouldn't lose Kairi. He knew how much he had cared about her. "Ready?"

Sora looked up and smiled a little. "Yeah." Afterwards, Sora stood up and headed with Roxas to school.

* * *

In the hallway of school, they stopped before they went into class. Sora looked over to see Kairi waiting for him. He left Roxas to catch up with her. Roxas looked over the other way. Further down, he spotted Xion walking beside Riku. There was a grin on her face as she carried her books close to her chest. A frown appeared. He wondered how close the two of them really were. Then he noticed his own reaction to the two of them. Roxas was surprised at himself. He actually felt… a little jealous. He thought that maybe Sora's talk had gotten to him. Then his eyes traveled toward the floor. He remembered when she smiled at him that way before. In his pocket, he could feel the seashell that he brought with him. He still debated about giving it to her. Soon, he headed inside of his classroom.

As the day passed, he dwelled more about his past with Xion. He knew that he wanted to protect her just in case someone decided to hurt her again and he felt he owed her. He even gave Sora's question some thought as to how much he cared about her. Apart of him thought it was crazy that he could have feeling for her. The two of them were just good friends before. He decided later that he would see her again.

When the end of school came, Xion stayed behind to help at the library for a few hours. Afterwards, she got ready to head for home. When she stepped out, she became surprised. Roxas was nearby waiting. She wasn't sure what to say or ask. The two walked up to each other and stood close. "Xion?" Even when she stood in front of him, face to face, no words would leave her lips. Roxas looked down uneasy as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out the seashell that he carried with him all day. "Here. I want you to have this. When I found this, I thought of you."

Slowly, she took it from his hand. "Thank you. It's really pretty." She stared at it for a few more seconds in her hand. "Why did you think of me?" she whispered. He looked at her, but didn't answer. Her eyes lowered. "Please tell me." He looked toward the floor. "Hmm… When I woke up in the hospital and I found these beside my bed…" A little smile came to Xion's face. "…I asked the same question back then." Inside, Roxas felt a little nervous as she spoke. Xion enclosed the shell in her hand. "Thank you. I'll keep this with the other shells you gave me. You really know how to pick them."

Roxas smiled gently. "You're welcome."

Xion placed her hair behind her ear as she looked away. "I wish I could've given you something in return. I know you were in the hospital as well."

Roxas shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He let out a smile. "I'm just glad that they made you happy."

She placed her hands together, concerned. "I'm sorry that you ended up in the hospital because of me..."

Roxas looked concerned. "No! It wasn't your fault!"

Xion put her head down, sad. "Roxas…"

Anxious, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I couldn't let them get away with what they did!"

Xion grabbed onto the seashell he had given her tightly and pressed her fist against her chest. She stared toward the ground. "So? You are saying you got hurt…because of me."

He didn't want her to blame herself. "Xion!"

"You should stay away from me before…I can hurt you again…" Her eyes traveled toward the side. "Maybe it's better that I don't remember anymore."

Roxas's eyes widened. "Xion! Don't ever blame yourself for what happened! It was my choice!" Quickly, he grabbed her hands. Her eyes had widened as well. He stared intensely. "And I don't want you to stop remembering me! I still want you to! I want my friend back!" His hand tensed in hers. He put his head down with his eyes closed tight. "I just want you back…"

Xion watched him, stunned. His words had touched her. She had no idea how strongly he felt. Softly she breathed out. She leaned her forehead against his with her eyes closed. It was then she decided that she wanted to remember him completely. "From what I remembered, you've never hurt me. I know you won't."

Their heads lifted up a little, letting their eyes meet. "Never," he assured her. Their bodies stood inches apart. Xion's hand opened up with the shell still inside. His hand kept it for falling as his fingers intertwined with hers. As he gazed into her eyes, he could feel a lump grow in his throat. Feelings rose inside of him that felt different and unknown. While his mind seemed unsure, his body acted on its own. He leaned forward as his eyes lowered more. Xion took notice. Her mind thought about moving, but her body stayed. She wasn't sure why, but she wouldn't argue against it. He took it as a sign that she knew what he was doing and that it was okay. Roxas closed his eyes along with Xion's. Her head tilted up as he leaned down. Slowly, he pressed his lips against hers. At first touch, her lips felt so soft and tasted sweet like candy. One of his hands slipped from hers and wrapped around her waist. He pressed her closer to his body. As they kissed, Xion's memories flashed before her.

 _Roxas sat across from her on the sidewalk. He held a light blue popsicle in front of her as he smiled. "Here. It's salty, but sweet. It's really good." She grabbed it from his hand. He tilted his head toward her. "We should come here and have these every day." She smiled as she nodded._

After that memory came to her, one after another came.

 _Roxas held a shiny blue orb between his fingers as he smiled toward her. "Here."_

 _She took it in her hands. "But this is yours. You won this in the Struggle."_

 _Roxas sat in front of her. "You were the one who believed that I would win it. I want you to have it." He gave her a gentle smile. "That way you'll always have something to remember me by…"_

Xion separated from him as she opened her eyes. She stared up at him surprised. Roxas still held onto her hand as he tried to read her expression. "Xion? What is it?" She didn't answer. In her mind she wanted to shout that she remembered things about him, but no words left her lips. "Xion-?"

"Xion!" a voice called out. Quickly, Xion turned around and forced her hands out of Roxas's once she recognized the familiar voice. The move surprised Roxas, but inside, it made him disappointed. Ahead they spotted Riku heading toward them. Xion held onto the seashell Roxas had given her. She walked over and met Riku half way. She could see the serious look on his face. "What's going on?"

Xion shook her head. "Nothing. I-." When she looked back, she became surprised. Roxas was already gone. She calmed down and searched around, but seen him nowhere. She turned back to Riku. "I was just talking."

He looked confused toward her. "That looked like more than just talking."

Xion shook her head. "Really we were just talking." When she stared at him, it didn't seem like he caught the kiss between them. Riku let out a sigh. He didn't believe her, but turned and started walked beside her. When he spotted the two of them, he noticed that they were standing really close to each other and things had looked intense. He couldn't erase from his mind Roxas holding her hand. As they walked, Xion moved the seashell in her hand and grabbed onto it tightly.

Once they left, Roxas stepped out of the corner he was hiding in. He didn't want to start a confrontation especially getting her involved. He saw her hand move the seashell inside. His eyes traveled down. He wondered what she thought about the kiss they shared and where things would go from there.

After she got home, Xion returned to her room. She went into her dresser and searched under her clothes, but found nothing. Then she moved on to her nightstand and searched through the top drawer first. When she looked through, she found the object from her memories. She pulled out the blue orb that Roxas had given her. A surprised look came on her face. It was the exact blue orb from her memory. So far, all of her memories of Roxas had been good. As she sat on the floor, she held onto the orb tightly and wondered why she had forgotten all of her memories of him instead of the bad ones. When she opened her eyes, the memory of their kiss came to her. She pressed two of her fingertips to her bottom lip. The feeling of his lips was a little dry and rough, but it had complimented her own. She enjoyed the kiss from him, but wondered why she had given into him in the first place. Along with that came how bad she felt when she didn't tell Riku what happened.

More thoughts led to more questions as to whether she cared about him in the past and whether feelings are coming up for him now. She sat down on the bed. She held the orb in both of her hands and stared at it. Afterwards, she placed the shell in her hand he had given her also along with it. At first, she wanted to give up the memories of her past, but now she wasn't so sure. She wanted to recall the memories of him regardless if the bad ones came with it. She gripped the things in her hand tightly. She would have to be strong to remember the memories she had locked inside of her. It was the only way she could fully remember him.

* * *

In one of the gang's hideouts, a few members of the organization were sitting around on chairs and couches. Larxene kicked her legs back and forth over the arm rest as she slouched in her chair, bored. "When are we going to get to do something big? I'm tired of doing these little "jobs". We can handle the big stuff."

Marluxia tossed his hair aside with his hand. "Why are you in such a rush? You really want to get your hands dirty?"

Larxene frowned. "Because I'm bored. Nothing happens on our end…" she groaned.

Marluxia sighed with his eyes closed. "I'm going home. Call me when something interesting happens."

Larxene rolled her eyes as they watched Marluxia leave. Then she smirked over at Axel. "Hey! I got some interesting news for ya!"

Axel frowned toward Larxene tired. "What?"

"You know that Xion girl? The one we "kicked" out of the organization." Larxene used her fingers for quotation marks. She wanted to laugh when she said the word "kicked" since it was figural and literal. "Well I saw her again. Somehow, she's still alive and kicking."

Saix rolled his eyes as he frowned. "So? Why bother us about it?"

Larxene shrugged. "Hey! I'm just saying I'm surprised she's still alive after the number we did on her. Roxas too." Axel looked down once he heard his name. Larxene pulled out her knives. "I almost finished the job, but that stupid brat Roxas got in the way." Axel wished Larxene wouldn't run her mouth about Roxas, but he didn't move his lips to speak.

Vexen arched his eyebrow as he grinned. "Larxene? Are you really that blood thirsty?"

Larxene got upset. "I'm just saying that we let them get away."

"Enough." Everyone turned their heads toward Zexion. He closed his eyes and walked away.

Larxene held out her arms, angry that she wasn't getting any response from him. "Can't we mess with her at least?"

Zexion looked over at Vexen. "Ready to head back?"

Vexen nodded. "Yes. Let's get this back to Master Xehanort." Then he frowned at Larxene. "Do what you want."

Saix followed behind them. "Just don't do anything that'll cause attention to us."

Larxene smirked deviously. "Oh please! If I killed her today and hid the body, no one would miss her."

Demyx looked curious. "Why are you so obsessed with her? That just seems crazy to me."

Larxene growled at him. "Because we don't do anything anymore! You wouldn't let me help! Can't you put a good word in? Even that idiot gets to help."

"Hey!" Demyx shouted.

Vexen grinned. "You want something interesting to happen? How about you try leaving the organization? Then the same thing that happened to her can happen to you." Larxene frowned as she got a few laughs out of the crowd. Larxene and Axel were left behind.

Larxene let out a loud growl. Axel looked over serious. "What do you expect? You almost killed someone in the group."

"So what? She was going to leave anyway! Isn't that what happens when you try to leave?"

Axel's eyes traveled toward the side. "That's not the point. They think you're out of control."

Larxene smirked as an idea came to mind of how to cure her boredom. She rubbed the bottom of his chin. "I can think of something that can get out of control…" She leaned in toward his face, but he turned his head away. "Awe…! You're still mad at me…" She placed his hands on his knees as she smirked. "I know how to make you feel better..."

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	20. The Runaways:Please! Let Me Remember You

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter of the story!_

* * *

 _The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, Riku, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 19: Please! Let Me Remember You:_

 _The darkness surrounded her as her body laid naked against the cold ground. The cold water hit her skin as the ground below her became softer. She was freezing, but there was nothing she could do to keep herself warm. Her body was in too much pain from the bruises and cuts. The light faded from her eyes as she stared forward. Soon, her world became covered in darkness._

Xion jumped up from her bed as she breathed heavily. Sweat rolled down the side of her face from the nightmare she just had. She closed her eyes tight as she let her body calm down. When she first moved into the mayor's house, she used to scream out every time when she would have nightmares. Most nights, her adopted mother would come in to comfort her. Kairi and her adopted father would try to comfort her as well. Namine would usually ask what was going on, concerned. They were the only ones who knew what was going on with her, but they weren't sure what the cause was. Her adopted mother would squeeze her tight as tears would fall from Xion's eyes. It used to take a while for her to calm down. Eventually, she had stopped screaming and crying every time she would have the same nightmare. After a few minutes, Xion calmed down and laid back against her bed. She looked up at the dark ceiling as her arm rested across her stomach. The search through her memories for Roxas had not been an easy one after going through the bad ones. At one point, she thought she didn't need to remember any more than what she already had, but she still had questions about him. She turned over on her side and fell back asleep, hoping that the same nightmare would not come back to haunt her. She would have to think of another way to remember Roxas.

Later, Xion woke up on time and went to school along with Namine and Kairi. When she spoke to Riku, she could tell that he was still curious about what happened with Roxas. She was thankful that Riku didn't catch them kiss. She didn't want to hurt him. At the same time, Xion still wondered whether she cared about Roxas or not...

When school was done, Xion worked in the library as usual, and as usual, it was a quiet day. Still, she thought about Roxas and her memories of him. She kept the orb he gave with her just in case she saw him again. After a few hours, Xion stepped out of the library to head for home. "Xion!"

Xion looked back to see Roxas stand nearby. She was surprised that he waited for her again. "Roxas?" She walked over and stood in front of him. "How long have you been waiting here?"

"Since school ended," he answered.

Nervously she looked up at him. "Why do you always show up after I leave here?"

He gave her a nervous look as he rubbed the back of head. "Well…I usually don't see you the whole day so…"

She smiled. "I understand. I was wondering when you would show up again." He smiled a little. She stepped in closer to him. "I…I've been trying to…" She looked up at him and smiled. "I've been trying to remember you."

Roxas became curious. It was the answer he had looked for all along. She truly didn't remember him, but he didn't understand why. "Well I can tell you everything I remember."

"That should help." Xion looked down concerned. "I've been trying to remember on my own but… all I kept remembering is… the bad memories."

Roxas looked concerned. She reached into her bag and grabbed the blue orb. She held it up in her hand which he looked surprised. "You kept it?"

Xion stared at the orb before she looked back at him. "Yeah. I remembered it…when you kissed me." The memory of yesterday made him nervous. She looked down and thought back. "It seems every time I get close to you, I remember something about you, but when I try to think about you on my own, I can only remember the bad." She looked up at him to see him surprised. She blushed as she thought of how she must've sound to him. "Sorry…"

Roxas shook his head. "Don't be. So what do you want to know?"

Xion smiled nervously. The blush still didn't leave her face. "Why…Why did…?" Nervously, she looked up at him. "Why did you kiss me…?"

He was surprised by her question, but then looked nervous. "Well…I'm not sure. I just…wanted to..."

Xion placed her fist near her mouth as she giggled. "You just wanted to?"

He laughed nervously. Then he crossed his arms. "So why did you kiss me back and not push me away?"

Xion's eyes traveled along the ground. "I wasn't sure either…" The two stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. Then she smiled a little. "What can you tell me?"

Roxas looked toward the side as he thought. Then, he looked over at her again. His eyes became caught in hers. He remembered what she said about how, whenever they were close, she would remember something. Then he smiled as a thought came to mind. "Let's see what you can remember." Xion was curious as to what he meant. Once she saw him move in close, she looked surprised. He noticed her reaction. "It worked the last time." Afterwards, Xion nodded. He leaned in closer to her and pressed her lips against hers. Both of them closed their eyes. He wrapped his arms around her as she placed her hands against his chest. Their kiss lasted longer than the last. He stepped forward as she stepped back until she felt her back hit the wall.

They continued to kiss passionately. As they kissed, her mind started to race. Soon, it opened and her memories begun to flow. Memory after memory from the first time they met to the times they spend together. Her hand slid against the skin of her neck into the blond strands of his head. Soon, her mind faded into the background as she enjoyed the feel of his lips to hers. Neither one of them cared at that moment if anyone saw them in the hall. As long as they were together, that was what mattered. They continued to kiss for minutes until they had run out of breath. Afterwards, their lips parted. Roxas and Xion opened their eyes to look at each other. They could hear each other breathing hard. "I remember." Then, Xion smiled. She leaned her forehead against his. "I remember it all."

After they parted, Roxas stared at her stunned. "How is that possible?"

She couldn't believe it either. "I don't know, but… I remember you." She grabbed his hand. "I remember everything from when we were in the organization together." She leaned toward him. "You were always nice to me." A smile crossed his lips. She seemed happy at that moment. Soon, she pressed her lips against his. Instantly, he had given in. All of a sudden, they heard a noise which had made them split apart and jump. They looked over to see a janitor pick up a broom off the floor. He looked over at them. They stared at him for a little before Roxas took her hand and ran off.

The janitor was a little surprised how they just took off. He wasn't sure why, but then continued cleaning. "Kids…"

Roxas and Xion kept running through the hallway. She wondered why he was running so fast. "Roxas?! Where are we going?!"

He smiled back at her. "You'll see. Just follow me." He led her to the roof of the school where the edges were fenced off. Roxas sat down on a bench as he breathed hard. Xion walked passed him and stood toward the edge. She stepped up on a block as her fingers went through the holes of the fence. Roxas caught his breath and looked up at her. The wind blew through their hair and clothes. Xion spoke without turning to him. "Roxas. I remember you. I don't know how, but now I do after I tried all this time."

Roxas leaned his arms on his legs. "It's weird, but…" He looked up at her concerned. "Are you okay with remembering everything?"

Xion's eyes kept staring forward. "It hurts to remember it all, but at least… I know who you are and what you were to me. You were my friend who took care of me whenever I needed you."

Roxas turned his head away as he looked down. He wished that was true. He tried to do whatever he could for her, but he wished he could've done more, especially to save her from what the organization did. Xion started reminiscing back. "The only reason I got in the organization was because…I had nowhere else to go..." Her eyes lowered. "Both of my parents were gone. I thought that I could find people to rely on, but I didn't know what the organization really did. I didn't know they were just another gang who did nothing but bad things to people. I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't be apart it so… I had to get out." Xion's fingers clutched tighter on the fence. "You warned me…You warned me Roxas that something bad would happen to me if I tried to leave or run away." She closed her eyes tight and leaned her head against the fence. She tried to hold her tears back. "And… that's exactly what happened."

Roxas could hear it in her voice that she tried not to cry. His fists baled together in his lap. His body began to shake. "You almost died..." he whispered out loud. Xion turned around. She heard what he said. She walked toward him. "I couldn't stop it! I couldn't save you!"

Xion leaned down in front of him and placed her hand on his leg. He almost forgot she was there for a second. He lifted his head up. She could see it in his face that it was tearing him up as much as her. She smiled her best smile despite how sad she felt. "Don't blame yourself. The important thing is that we're out of there and we're here today."

"But you'll always have to live with the memories." He closed his eyes tight. His hands pressed against the sides of his head. "It's my fault! I'm such an idiot!"

Xion gave him a surprised look. "Roxas…? What are you talking about?"

He shook his head a little. "I knew it! I knew they were going to attack you ahead of time!" Xion's eyes widened. She wondered, but didn't think Roxas intended for her to get attacked. She moved in closer to him and leaned the side of her head against his. Roxas relaxed as he felt her close to him. She wrapped her arms around him. The two stayed like that for a couple of minutes before Roxas spoke. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

She shook her head against his. "No. There's no need to be because…I know…that you wouldn't hurt me. That you tried to protect me." His eyes opened a little. He wondered if he really was strong enough to protect her. Xion stood up from him. His eyes followed her. She sat down beside him and leaned forward. "Tell me what happened."

Roxas sighed as he looked down and thought back. "At first, I didn't figure it out when they were going to attack, but I knew once you said that you planned on leaving the organization, they would try to hurt you in some way if they found out. I tried to find out when that was going to be. I confronted Axel on the street the night you got hurt because I thought he would know what they were up to. It took some time, but I got the truth out of him. He told me that the organization found out that you wanted to leave. You know the rules that they go by. Anyone who leaves the organization would pay the consequences."

Xion nodded as she looked toward the side, uneasy. "Yeah…"

Roxas closed his eyes. His face leaned on his fists. "So I asked Axel where they were going to attack you. I should've known he was lying by that look he gave me, but I was stupid and trusted him. He gave me the wrong address. I couldn't find you anywhere so I searched everywhere for you. When I found you, all I saw was you lying on the ground, hurt."

Xion looked down. They remained silent for a little. "It's not your fault," Xion assured him.

Roxas didn't respond. Then, Xion stood up and walked passed him. "Xion?" She stopped without looking back. Roxas looked uneasy. "How did you end up forgetting everything?"

She turned back to him. "It was hard... I was happy to finally have been adopted by Namine's and Kairi's parents otherwise I might have to leave the island..." Roxas looked concerned. He wouldn't have wanted that to happen and she didn't either. Xion smiled a little as she thought back. "I finally had a warm bed and a roof over my head instead of sleeping in the hideout. That's why I took the chance to leave the organization." Then she closed her eyes tight as she pressed her fist against her chest. "But after what happened… I wanted so bad to forget the pain and everything I went through that night... When I was in the hospital recovering, the nightmares started. I couldn't stand it... There was nothing I could do. I would wake up every night screaming and crying. I wouldn't stop so my new parents took me to see someone, a therapist they thought could help. He kind of did." She relaxed her hand on her chest. "I repressed all the memories I have of being in the organization including those of you. I wanted to get rid of everything from the past. I didn't want to forget about you, but it just became a light buried in the darkness." She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry…that I forgotten you, but I was afraid that you would bring my memories back up and I would have to live through the nightmares all over again."

"I understand..." Roxas looked down disappointed. "Now, because of me, I'm sure you have to relive that nightmare all over again. I didn't know…"

Xion turned away from him. "Now, because I remembered everything, I know the answers to all my questions except one."

Roxas looked curious. "What's that?"

"Why did you seek me out even after all this time? I tried moving on with this new life I have. Shouldn't you?" Roxas's eyes lowered toward the ground. Xion turned around to see his head toward the ground. She smiled nervously and waved her hands so that he wouldn't think he had done something bad. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I remembered you, but why try not to move on?" Roxas wondered if he should tell her about what he wanted to do. "Roxas?" she called him.

He refused to look up at her. "I…I wanted to make up for what happened... I just want to make sure that you were okay. I…owe you that much."

Xion's eyes traveled the ground. She didn't want him to get hurt again. "You don't owe me anything."

Roxas stood up as he placed his hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry…" Her eyes lifted to him curious. "I had to know if you were okay, but I didn't realize that this had cause you so much pain." He started walking away. "Maybe it was better if I had stayed away..."

Xion looked concerned as she stood up. "Roxas…" Before he could open the door, he felt her hand on top of his. "Wait. Don't leave." Roxas looked over at Xion as she looked down concerned. "Yes…It has been hard, but it was my choice to pursue this too." Her eyes lifted up to her. "I wanted to remember you because you were the closest friend I had back then. You took care of me when I had no one else. For that, I'm grateful." Roxas turned more toward her. Xion turned and smiled a little. "It's okay. I just don't want you to feel so guilty anymore." She held her hands together as she closed her eyes. "It's nice to know that you care."

"Are you sure you want me to stay with you?" he asked concerned.

She nodded. He smiled a little nervous. "I um…? I was just wondering if..." His eyes looked away and thought that she wouldn't go with his idea.

She looked curious. "What is it Roxas?"

"I was just wondering if... you still like to collect seashells on the island?"

She was surprised but then smiled. "Well it was you who got me collecting them since you give me a ton in the hospital."

Roxas laughed with his eyes closed. Xion joined in with him. Roxas opened his eyes and looked down. "Well…I was wondering if…you would like to go to the island with me to go look for some." He shrugged. "Just an idea."

"To hang out again?" Xion added. Roxas nodded in response. "Okay.

The two smiled at each other after. Xion was about to leave, but Roxas called her again. "Xion! Do you think…we could start over being friends again?"

Inside, it surprised her that he asked. Then, she smiled as she nodded. "Yeah," she told him before she left.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	21. Sibling Rivalry: Outside Looking In

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter! Took a little inspiration from Chain of Memories!_

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, and Namine side of the story)_

 _Chapter 20: Outside Looking In:_

In the hallway of school, Kairi turned her head curious. Afterwards, a smile appeared once she saw a certain, spiked brunette. "Sora!"

After he heard her voice, a smile instantly came on his lips as well. It was a usual afternoon, one he had become accustom to since he was finally home again. After classes were done, he would walk and hoped to see a certain crimson haired girl before he left to go home. Even if he couldn't catch her at school, he always had the option to see her later if he tried. Kairi left from Selphie's side to go over to Sora. Selphie shook her head as she let out a smile and placed her hand on her hip. She started to believe that, whether friend or boyfriend, that Kairi would pick the boyfriend most of the time. The two continued to grin toward each other as Kairi continued to head toward Sora.

"Sora!" Sora turned his head curious to see Namine head toward him from the other end of the hallway. It now became a matter of who would reach Sora first. "Hi!"

Sora blinked surprised. "Hey Namine."

Namine stopped beside him as she held out her canvas for him to see. "I wanted to get your opinion on my painting. Is that okay?" Kairi caught up just in time to hear Namine's request.

Sora scratched the back of his head. "Um…?" As much as he wanted to help, he knew that Kairi planned to walk home with him. He tilted his body toward the side as his eyes met with Kairi's.

Namine took notice and turned around. She looked surprised at Kairi who stood behind her. "Oh! Hi Kairi!" She looked down a little uneasy. "Sorry… You two seem busy-."

Kairi placed her hands behind her back as she smiled. "It's fine." She stood beside her. "Do you mind if I look too?"

Namine nodded as she smiled nervously at what their opinion would be. "Sure…" Both of them leaned over.

Sora looked surprised and then smiled at the landscape. "Oh! It's really good Namine!"

Instantly, she let out a smile. "Thanks! I've been working on some others that I've shown Kairi, but not you yet. I was hoping... you would take a look at them…?"

He nodded. "Sure!"

Without thinking, he responded. Then, his eyes lifted up to Kairi who gave him a sweet smile. "It's okay. I can wait."

Afterwards, Sora smiled. She really did have a way of being understanding. Sora looked toward Namine and nodded. "Let's go!" Namine smiled and walked with him toward the art room.

After they were further down the hall, Kairi's smile disappeared as she sighed. Selphie went to her side, confused. "How come you let him go?"

"Sora is one of Namine's closest friends. She values his opinion." Kairi's eyes lowered toward the floor. She knew Namine felt something for him, but she didn't want to break the bond that they shared or what they had left...

The next day, Namine's paintbrush moved smoothly across her canvas as she sat in the art room. Namine smiled as she admired her undone painting. She enjoyed painting when she was alone in her free time. It made her feel happy to still do so. Then, she glanced over toward the window. She stood off her stool and leaned against the glass. Outside, she caught a glimpse of Kairi run across the schoolyard. Namine's eyes lowered with disappointment. She returned back to her chair and held her paintbrush to her painting, but her arm refused to move. She closed her eyes as she sighed. She knew that Kairi was off to see Sora. Something she wished that she could do. She placed her paintbrush aside and put her hands on her knees. Her eyes lowered toward the ground. She tried to spend time with Sora in hopes that he would return the same feelings toward her, but he still cared about Kairi. She wondered if there would ever be a chance...

* * *

On the island, Kairi stood with Sora near the ocean. The salty breeze blew softly past them. They usually went to the island since it was the only time they could spend together alone. Kairi skipped a rock across the water as Sora stared over at her. "So? What other idea did you have in mind?"

She placed her hands behind her back as she turned to him and smiled. "You mean as far as spending time together? I was thinking there's always night."

Sora looked surprised. "But I thought your parents gave you a curfew."

She grinned as she placed her finger on her cheek. "Yeah, but there are ways around that." She turned to the ocean as the smile slowly went off of her face. "I just don't get to see you as much anymore."

Sora stepped closer to her. "I just don't want you to get in trouble or I'll never get to see you."

Kairi could understand the risks, but she was willing to take it. "Don't worry," she assured him. "I'll be careful. How about tomorrow night here on the island? I heard there are going to be a lot of stars out."

Sora grinned. "You can always see the stars." Kairi grinned back as elbowed him playfully in his side. Sora rubbed the back of his head as he smiled. "But yeah. I'll come out here tomorrow night." Kairi smiled. She leaned her head against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his. Sora smiled, glad that she was happy.

The next afternoon, Namine was inside of the art room as she sat in front of her canvas. Soon, the bell rung for school to be over. She looked up surprised as she realized that she forgot track of time. It was the only time of day when she could see him. She looked down and noticed the paint over her arms. She rushed over to the sink to try and wash it off. In times like this, it was easier using crayons and her drawing pad again. She washed it off her arms and hands as best she could, but some of the paint still remained. She decided to clean it off later and went toward the door.

Once she looked out, she saw him in the hall alone. She smiled. _"Sora."_ This was her opportunity to speak to him. She was about to step out when she saw him stop. He smiled. When she looked over, she saw Kairi approach him with the same happy smile. Namine's expression turned to sadness and disappointment. She watched as Sora grabbed Kairi's hand. "So? Do you think you'll be able to get out tonight?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. I'll meet you out on the island." Then she noticed the unease on his face. She smiled to assure him. "Don't worry."

Sora smiled gently and nodded. "Can't wait." Namine looked down. She wondered what they were up to. What worried her more was how close they were. Sora slowly let Kairi's hand slip out of his. They headed toward the same direction down the hall. Disappointed still, Namine stepped back inside of the room and headed for the sink to finish cleaning the paint off of her hands. Her curiosity struck her again as to what Kairi and Sora were up to. Soon, she cleared her mind and packed up her stuff so that she could head for home.

Later that night, Namine finished saying good night to her parents and headed up to her room. Her room was lit a little by the moonlight coming in from the window. She sighed and cut on her light. She decided to draw a little before she went to bed. Outside her door, she could Kairi say good night before she heard her door close next door. A couple of hours later, Namine cut off her light after she finished drawing and headed toward her window. She sat inside on the window ceil and stared out of the window. Her head leaned against the glass as she continued to think. She felt alone as she usually did sometimes. What helped with the loneliness was art. Then, she noticed something moving out of the corner of her eye. She looked over to see Kairi run off from their house. She looked surprised, but then remembered the conversation she heard in the hallway hours earlier. Her expression changed to disappointment. She wished that she could go out tonight and meet Sora. One thing that would make her more than happy. She wondered if he would ever notice her? If he would care about her? Slowly, she stepped from her window and slipped under her covers. She closed her eyes as she tried to fall asleep.

On the island, Sora and Kairi sat on the sand. The water from the ocean washed up on the edge of their feet. They stared up at the stars in the sky. His arm lifted up as he pointed to one of the stars. "You see that? That could be another world up there."

Kairi grinned. "The only way we can prove it is if we could go there and see for ourselves. I guess we should've given up on the raft idea so soon."

Sora leaned on her shoulder. "We can still try." Then another thought came to mind. "Hey Kairi? Where did you come here from?"

Kairi looked down as her arms hugged around her knees. "Before I moved here when I was little, I used to live with my grandmother." Then she grinned as she looked up toward the stars. "I remember these stories she used to tell me. About the light… It made me believe that there were other worlds out there. I could remember the stories, I could remember her before she died, but it's weird… I can't remember where I lived."

"Do you miss it?" he asked curious.

Kairi leaned her head against his. "I miss my grandma, but I'm happy here." She parted from him and smiled. "I'm happy with you."

Sora smiled gently. They leaned in and kissed. A few seconds later, they parted and stared into each other eyes. Her arms rested against his chest."I'm glad that you moved here and that I met you."

Kairi grinned. She felt the same. "Me too." They kissed for a few more minutes before they talked and looked up at the stars. They enjoyed their time they had together.

* * *

At home, Namine couldn't sleep. She left from her room and went down to the kitchen where she grabbed a glass of milk. Her mind traveled toward the island. She wondered what Kairi could be doing at the moment alone with Sora. She leaned her head against her hand as she sat at the counter. A few minutes, her mother came down. She was surprised to see her up. "Namine?"

Quickly, Namine turned her head. "Oh! You scared me."

Her mother placed her hands on her shoulders. "What's wrong? You seem sad."

Namine shook her head. "It's nothing. I just... couldn't get to sleep."

Her mother smiled gently. "Whatever it is, you can tell me." Namine didn't think it was obvious how sad she was. She turned to her mother who sat down beside her. "Come on... What's wrong? I can't have my little girl sad now." Namine stared at her. She didn't want to let her mother in on why. Her mother sighed with her eyes closed. Then, she grinned as an idea came to mind. "You know. You, me, Xion, and Kairi can have a girls' day together! We haven't had one in so long. Maybe we should try one day soon." She looked toward the stairs. "Maybe we could try now to make you feel better. I wonder if Kairi and Xion are still up. Probably not... Still, it's been a long time since I checked to see if you girls were sleeping."

Namine looked worried. If she went up, she would see that Kairi was not there. She placed her hand on her mother's arm. "It's okay! You don't have to wake up Kairi!"

Her mother looked confused. "What? I wasn't going anywhere." Her mother became suspicious as she saw how worried Namine was. "Namine…?" She looked down, worried. It wasn't helping with her mother's suspicions. She stood up. "I think I will ask her to come down here with us." She started walking away as Namine watched. She stopped once she hit the living room. "Namine...? Is there something you would like to tell me?" Namine looked down as she wondered if she should tell the truth.

Later that night, Kairi laughed as she stopped in front of her door. Sora followed behind her as he laughed along with her. Kairi looked over to see that they made it to her house already. She placed her finger to her lips. "Shh!" They quieted down so no one else would hear them. They smiled toward each other. "I guess tonight's… already over."

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Well… We can't stay out all night."

Kairi moaned. "I know..." Sora stepped in closer and lifted up her chin softly with his fingers. Kairi opened her eyes to stare into his blue ones. He leaned in and gave her a passionate kiss. She could feel her body weaken. Gently, her hands slid along his neck. He pulled her body closer to his. At that moment, she wanted more of him. Slowly, Sora pulled his lips away from her. His eyes partly opened. Her eyes did the same. His hand slid off her face as he smiled. Kairi's cheeks became flushed with red. He could see her blush through the darkness. "Good night," he whispered.

She continued to stare at him. "G-good night…" He turned and walked off as she watched him. The last thing she saw was his smile, one of the things she loved about him.

Soon, she walked inside as she kept the smile on her face. When she closed the door lightly behind her, she leaned against him as she sighed, happy. Tonight was the most fun she had in a long time. Then, a light cut on to reveal the angry glare on her mother's face. "And where have you been young lady?!"

A scared look appeared on Kairi's face. Her hand pressed against her chest. When she calmed down a little, she looked toward the ground. "I…um…?" Her mother stood up as she crossed her arms. Kairi's eyes traveled from her to the ground. "I…I just…I just went to the island."

Her mother became more upset. "At this time of night?! You were supposed to be in bed hours ago!" Her mother pointed toward her room. "You are grounded! Now go to your room!" Kairi headed back to her room with her head down.

In her room, Namine laid on her bed awake. She didn't mean to get Kairi in trouble, but she didn't want to lie either. She hoped that in the morning things would be better.

After the hours passed into morning, Namine sat at the kitchen table eating. She still felt bad for what happened last night, but still hadn't confronted Kairi yet. Namine looked down and then, stood up. She walked toward the kitchen counter where the sink was as she carried her plate toward it. She wasn't hungry much as she was still worried. Nearby, Namine could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. She looked back to see who it was. A few seconds later, Kairi stepped into the kitchen and went into the fridge. "Morning."

Namine looked down, worried. "Morning." She looked toward the side. It was hard to say what was on her mind, but she gathered the courage to do so. "I'm sorry," Namine whispered.

Kairi turned to her surprised and leaned back against the counter. "Sorry for what?"

Namine pushed her lips together tightly before she spoke. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to. Last night, mom was going to see if you were still awake so I panicked and tried to stop her from going up there, but she went anyway and saw you weren't there."

Kairi's eyebrows furrowed as she became confused. "Wait... How did you know I was going out?" Namine eyes widened. She gave herself away. "You knew… didn't you? You knew I was going with Sora?" Namine looked down, worried. Kairi didn't want to believe that Namine tried to get her in trouble on purpose. It was crazy to ask, but she had to know. "Did you…want mom to know I was gone?"

Namine shook her head as she closed her eyes. "No. I didn't mean to-. I-."

Kairi shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'm grounded anyway. I'll just have to get through it." Her head lowered, disappointed. "Actually... I was supposed to see Sora today and we were supposed to go to the island together…but now…I'm not sure I can with mom watching me..." Kairi continued to get her breakfast. "I guess I better let him know the bad news…" Namine looked down disappointed along with Kairi.

After school was over, Sora walked out of the building when he heard a familiar voice nearby. "Sora!" He stopped as he looked back. Namine caught up to him.

He looked calm. "Oh! Hey Namine!"

She looked curious. "Are you walking home alone?"

"Yeah," he sounded a little disappointed. "Everyone else is busy. Kairi won't be able to come out for a while."

Namine looked disappointed as well. "That's too bad..." Soon, her expression changed to nervousness. "If it's okay…I wouldn't mind… spending time with you."

Sora smiled. "Sure. That would be nice." After they left from school, Namine traveled to the island in her boat along with Sora in his boat. Once she got closer to shore, she saw Sora on the edge of the dock. She got her boat close to the island. "Sora." Her boat rocked a little as she tried to stand up. Sora grabbed onto her arm which she looked up. Instantly, her body became stunned as her eyes got caught in his.

Sora helped her out of the boat onto the dock as he looked surprised. "Are you okay?"

Namine snapped out her trance. "Um? Yeah. Sure." Namine looked down as she noticed that Sora was still holding her hand. Her cheeks became flushed with red.

"Oh! Sorry about that." Sora looked down and then pulled his hand away. "Tell Kairi that I hope she'll be able to come back to the island soon."

Namine smiled as she looked toward the ground. She placed her hands behind her back, a little nervous. "Sure." The two sat near the ocean on the dock and spent some time talking. Namine got a chance to talk about her art and hoped that Sora would see some of her drawings sometimes which Sora agreed.

Over the next few days, the two continued to spend time together. She had always enjoying doing art, but now that he was helping her, she couldn't help but smile more. "Can I see it now?"

Namine lifted her eyes to Sora who was sitting in front of her on the grass. Quickly, she concentrated as she smiled. "Almost… There!"

Sora stood up and then sat beside Namine. His eyes widened in surprised. "Wow!" It was a realistic, profile drawing of him smiling. It was definitely different than what she used to do with crayons and colored pencils. "You've gotten a lot better!"

She looked down as she smiled and looked toward her pad. A light blush came to her cheeks. "Thank you."

Sora leaned his arm against his knee as he looked over at her. "You've been drawing ever since I could remember."

Namine nodded. "After I graduate, I want to go to art school. I already have a school in mind so I'll be traveling far from the island."

Sora nodded. "That's great! If anyone could do it, it would be you!"

She grinned toward him. "Thanks Sora." Her eyes searched his face. By now, she felt as if she had it memorized. Every feature, every wrinkle he would make when he would laugh. Her eyes traveled down toward his smile. As much as she tried to fight the feeling, deep down she wanted to know what his lips felt like. What it felt like to kiss him...

Then, Sora blinked surprised as he looked up. "Oh no!" Namine snapped out of her thoughts as Sora stood up quickly. "I forgot! I was supposed to meet with Kairi." Sora looked concerned. "Sorry! I got to go!"

Before she could say anything, he took off running. She leaned back against her hands disappointed. Again, their time was cut short because his time was split between Kairi and her. She returned back to the art room and put away some of her supplies. Suddenly, she heard a knock. She turned around to see Riku walk toward her. She smiled as she placed her hands behind her back. "Hi Riku!"

He smiled toward her. "You're still here?"

"I was on my way home." Namine looked curious. "What are you still doing here?"

Riku leaned against the desk. "I was waiting for Xion, but I'm not sure where she went. She usually stays in the library, but now she seems to take off on her own."

Namine looked a little surprised. "I haven't really noticed anything out of the ordinary."

Riku looked off to the side serious. "Expect… I've noticed that every time I go to where she is, Roxas is there." He couldn't pinpoint why, but all he knew was he had a bad feeling about him. "I'm not sure what he's up to, but I think he had something to do with what happened to Xion."

Namine looked a little concerned. "Are you sure?"

He shook his head and looked over at her. "No, but it's just the way Xion acts toward him. I know he used to be in this group…"

Namine smiled a little to assure him. "Roxas has been really nice. I doubt you'll have anything to worry about." Riku sighed. He really hoped so. Namine stepped in front of him. "Don't you think it's time for a haircut?" She brushed his long bangs from his face that seemed to cover his eyes.

Riku smirked a little. "What's wrong with my hair?"

Namine grinned as she stepped back. "If it grows any more, then we won't be able to see your face."

Silently he laughed. "That's the same thing Kairi said." He stepped passed her to look at her notepad. "What did you end up drawing today?" He lifted up the pad to see the drawing of Sora she had just finished. "Wow!" Namine became nervous as she wondered what he thought. "You've gotten better." He handed the pad back toward her. "It helps when you have the same subject over and over." Namine took the pad from his hand and pressed it against her chest as she looked down uneasy. "You've really liked him for a long time haven't you?" The words made a shiver run through her body. It really was that obvious. Namine looked off to the side as she kept silent.

Riku sat down at one of the tables. "Spending time with him is your way of being with him." She kept her head down. "It's better just to let it go." She looked over at him worried. Those were words that she didn't want to hear. "I've known Sora for my whole life. He's always cared about Kairi ever since he met her. She's the most important person to him." Her hair covered over her eyes as she squeezed tighter onto her notepad. She always had to ignore that fact. A concerned look came on his face. "I don't want you to get hurt..." Unable to listen any longer, she took off. Riku stood up. "Namine!" Right away he had felt bad, but he knew it would just hurt later.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update!_


	22. Sibling Rivalry: Pushing Us Apart

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for reading! I hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, and Namine side of the story)_

 _Chapter 21: Pushing Us Apart:_

Kairi walked down the hall as her eyes traveled along the ground. For the past few days, she had been walking by herself. It started to feel like her new daily routine now. It wasn't a change she wanted. Not without him... After school was the main time they got to spend together, but lately, that hadn't been the case. Now, Sora had spent time with Namine to help her. Kairi wanted to be happy that Sora was helping, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. As much as she tried to ignore the thought, it felt as if Namine was pulling Sora away from her. Once she reached the school, Kairi looked up. Ahead, she saw a smiling face toward her. Sora waved his hand. "Kairi!" Sora went up to her and grabbed her hand. Kairi couldn't help but smile once she seen him. It always made her smile. "Hey!"

They stepped toward the side so that they could talk alone. "Hey!"

Sora gave her a curious look. He could tell there was something behind her smile that seemed sad. "What's wrong?"

Kairi became curious. "What do you mean?"

He looked a little concerned. "Tell me."

As she sighed, she closed her eyes. "It's nothing…"

Sora smiled a little. "You can tell me. I wanna know."

Uneasy, she looked toward the side. "I guess…it's just that… we haven't spent a lot of time together lately." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. It sounds selfish, but-."

Sora sighed as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "Yeah... I was thinking the same thing too."

Kairi looked surprised. Then she placed her hands behind her back. "So? What should we do about it?" She turned her head toward him and smiled. "We used to be together all the time."

Sora smiled. "Yeah..." Then he grinned as an idea came to mind. He slammed his fist into his hand. "Tell you what! Meet me on the island today! I have an idea! Well… More like a surprise."

Kairi grinned, interested. "All right! I'll take you up on that offer!" The two held out their hands and locked their pinkies in a promise. Then, Sora leaned in as he took her hands and kissed her forehead. She was surprised since they didn't usually show affection at school, besides holding hands, for fear of teachers spotting them and giving them detention. Kairi turned her body as she kept her eyes on him. "So? Do you want to go straight after school?"

Sora gave her a nervous smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well…"

"Sora!" Sora and Kairi turned around as they heard a voice call him. Namine caught up with him. Then, her expression changed to surprise to see Kairi. She stopped in front of them and looked away. Kairi looked the other way. Then, Namine looked up toward him nervous since Kairi was there. "I was wondering if you would still help me today..."

Sora looked between the two girls. When it came to who he wanted to spend time with, he knew who he wanted to choose, but he did promise Namine and he always kept his promises. Then, he thought of an idea. He looked toward Kairi. "How about I meet you later okay? I'll be done helping Namine soon."

Kairi gave the best smile she could. "Oh…! Sure!"

Namine smiled, relieved. "Thank you." Kairi felt uneasy once she heard those words. It was almost, as if, she was handing Sora over to her. Namine and Sora started walking away. Sora stopped and looked back. Kairi stared at him, hoping that he would change his mind, but seeing that he didn't, she just smiled. He smiled back, feeling uneasy, but then walked off. At first, Kairi looked down, but then gave herself hope. She remembered that they would be together later on.

Sora followed Namine into the art room where she had her painting supplies. She started picking some up, which Sora became curious as to what she was doing. "What are you doing with some of your stuff?"

Namine smiled as her hands were full. "I was going to try and paint outside today. You don't mind, do you?"

Sora shook his head. "Whatever you want to do."

Inside of the school, Kairi walked along the halls. Down below, she noticed the two talking and smiling. As much as she tried to be happy to see Namine smile, it made her feel sad that they were spending so much time together. It seemed they walked home from school more often while she stayed after for student council. Before Sora came back to the island, she was nominated and became a class representative. It kept her mind occupied back then while he was away. Now it kept her busy while she waited to spend time with him. She turned her head from them and headed toward the meeting. While it was going on, she leaned her head against her hand, partly paying attention. Her mind couldn't help but wonder what was going on while Namine and Sora spent time together. "Kairi?"

Kairi looked over to see a boy with glasses whisper toward her. "Sorry! Did I miss something?"

He gave a curious look. "No. You just look like you have a lot on your mind."

She breathed out as she looked down. "It's nothing…" Concerned, he decided to turn his attention back to meeting and leave her be for now.

After the meeting was over, Kairi stepped out of the room. "Kairi!" Selphie caught up with her.

Kairi looked surprised, but then put on a smile. "Hey."

"It's rare that I get to see you after." She looked around. "Where's Sora? He usually meets you here."

Kairi gave the best smile she could. "He's been busy."

Inside, her fellow representative put his ear close to the door. He had been curious for a while, but now was his chance. Selphie leaned in closer to Kairi for only them to hear as people passed them. "Really? I usually see him with Namine."

Kairi looked surprised. Had it become that noticeable? "Oh."

Selphie moaned. "You guys didn't get in a fight, did you? Is it worse? Did you guys break up?!"

Kairi shook her head as she smiled. "It's not like that. Namine is interested in getting into art school after she leaves here so Sora has been helping her."

Selphie breathed out. "I was starting to worry about you two for a minute."

Kairi shook her head and smiled to assure her. "No need to worry."

Selphie gave a look of relief. "Good…! Everyone was starting to think that he was with Namine."

Inside, it concerned Kairi a bit, but she kept her smile on. "Don't listen to rumors. Not much happens here."

Selphie nodded. "Since you're done, do you want to head to the island?"

Kairi nodded. She needed something to take her mind off her worries. "Sure!"

Selphie looked surprised, but then happy. She walked away with Kairi. "Maybe Sora has been a good influence on you."

Inside of the classroom, the boy wondered if there was any truth in what he had heard. This could be his chance...

On the island, Kairi and Selphie spent time together, talking. While they spent time there, Kairi looked over toward the secret cave. A hopeful smile came on her face. She remembered the drawing and the papou they shared. They would remain a part of each other's lives no matter what. That thought released her from her worries. He loved her. Nothing about that was going to change...

* * *

As time passed, Kairi became less worried about the time that Namine and Sora spent together. Instead of dwelling on it, she spent time with her friends especially Selphie and Aqua when she could. After school, Sora would help Namine with her drawings and he would walk her home. Still, Namine couldn't help but hear Riku's words ring in her head. With time approaching for them to graduate soon, they would separate. She would leave the island and she wouldn't get the chance to tell him how she felt about him...

After school, Kairi stepped out of another student council meeting. Her fellow class representative caught up with her. "Hey Kairi!"

She stopped and looked over at him surprised that he stopped her. He stopped a little short of her height, short, dark hair, and wore round glasses. There was concern look on his face. "I was wondering if you were feeling any better."

She smiled at him to assure him. "I'm fine!"

"It's okay if you're not. I know it's hard when someone you care about is spending time with someone else."

She looked at him surprised. What he said caught her off guard. "What?"

He looked nervous as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry! I was just worried. I thought since you weren't spending as much time as you were with your boyfriend that it had to be hard." She looked down uneasy. "I just want you to be careful. He might start… falling for someone else. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Kairi looked to the side, uneasy as she pressed her fist against her chest. She stopped the doubts from pushing into her mind. "Thanks for your concern, but everything is fine."

"Sorry! I know it was out of line, but I didn't want someone as kind as you getting hurt." Kairi walked away. He brought all of her insecurities to the surface and it was overwhelming. From her reaction, things went as he thought they would.

As she walked, she heard a voice call out to her. She lifted her head to see Sora run up to her. "Sorry! Have you been waiting long?" Unable to think straight, she walked passed him. "I'm sorry!"

There was sadness in her eyes as she looked back. Before he could say anything, she gave him a sad smile. "It's okay. You don't have to rush. Really..." He could tell she was hurt.

"Kairi!" Selphie caught up with her and grabbed her arm. "Ready?!" She waved toward Sora. "Hi Sora!"

Uneasy, he raised his hand. Kairi grinned toward him. "I'll catch with you later. Okay?" He stood in silence as they walked away. It dawned on him that things were strained between them.

Kairi and Selphie headed toward the island. As she was there, Kairi tried to have fun spending time with Selphie, but she wasn't in much of a mood to. Finally, she stood up from the sand. "Sorry Selphie. I should get home."

Selphie looked surprised. "So soon?"

"Yeah... I have a lot of homework to do. I'll see you later." Selphie looked concerned as she watched Kairi walk away. She wasn't being herself again.

* * *

As Sora walked with Namine along the dirt road, both of them stared toward the ground in silence as thoughts dwelled in their minds. Namine constantly thought about how there wasn't a lot of time to let him know how she felt and how it overwhelmed her to keep it inside whenever she was with him. What was she to do? Every time she spent time with him, he seemed to have fun with her. She glanced over at him. It seemed like something was on his mind. He was surprisingly quiet. Finally, he stopped nearby her home. "Hey Namine...?" She looked over at him curious. He didn't want to disappoint her, but there was something he had to fix. "I think we should stop meeting after school every day. At least, not as much." Namine looked at him surprised and concerned. He rubbed the back of his head a little. "Don't get me wrong. I like helping you with your art, but…" He looked toward the ground. "I haven't been spending as much time with Kairi and I think that's making her sad. It's my fault. We said we would spend every day together." His words worried her. "Sorry about this."

She grabbed his hand which he looked surprised. "You could still help. We don't have to stop completely."

He smiled to assure her. "Just a little break. Then I'll be back to help. That's a promise." Her eyes searched his. She felt that she was losing him again. He smiled toward her as he started walking. "Come on! If you don't mind me stop by, I'll say hi and then-."

"Sora! Wait!" She grabbed onto his other hand and turned him around which he looked surprised. "Don't go…" Namine raised herself on her toes.

Suddenly, his eyes widened more. It took him a second, but then he realized that her lips were locked to his. His body froze from shock. It was one last attempt to see if maybe he had felt something for her. Soon, she parted from him and opened her eyes. She could see the look of shock on his face. "Namine…?" He couldn't believe what she had done. Inside, he started to get worried. What would he say to Kairi? How would he explain what happened? As the thought crossed his mind, he lifted his eyes. Right away, the feeling of dread hit him deep.

Namine took notice and looked back. A brown bag dropped on the ground. A few books and papers spilled out on the ground. Only a few feet away from them stood the crimson haired girl he was worried about. She was frozen in place as her eyes couldn't help but stare at them. After the island, she headed home. Never had she expected to catch the tail end of their kiss. All of the warning signs were there, but she chose to ignore them. She ignored all of her worries, all of her insecurities, all of her doubts. For a moment, her mind questioned if it had really happened, but she couldn't write it off as it didn't. She saw Sora approach her first. Her mind saw it happen, but her body didn't catch up in time for her to react. His hands grabbed onto her arms. "Kairi!" Her eyes stared into his in shock. Finally, she blinked. Her shock turned into anger and hurt. Quickly, she slipped herself from his grasp and grabbed her bag. "I'm sorry. It-." Feeling too hurt to listen, she hurried passed them. She glanced toward Namine mainly with a flash of hurt. She grabbed her keys and opened the door as quickly as she could. Sora followed behind. "Kairi!"

After the door opened, she quickly turned toward him. "Stay away from me!" she cried out. She slammed the door closed and locked it behind her. She rushed upstairs. She couldn't let him see it. She could feel her tears come to the surface. In her room, she tossed her stuff aside onto the floor and fell against her bed. She buried her face into her pillow. The tears wouldn't hold out much longer. She closed her eyes tight. Pain had fully embraced her. Apart of her wondered if it was her fault. She wanted her sister to have a friend. She wanted her to be happy, but did it have to be at her expense? Her mind couldn't help but race over what had gone wrong. Added to that were the memories of them. The kiss and the papou they shared on the island, and the moment he told her he loved her. They would remain a part of each other's lives no matter what. Instead of something she wanted, it now seemed more like a curse.

Downstairs, Sora's head hit the door as his bangs covered over his eyes. He never wanted to hurt her like that. Namine watched his reaction. Her head lowered toward the ground. She never meant for Kairi to be hurt like this. She just wanted to know if there was something there. "You have to let me inside! I have to make this right!" Namine looked up surprised. She could hear a slight anger seep through his voice. One she hadn't heard before. Quietly, she stepped beside him and unlocked the door. In the back of her mind, she was worried. As soon as she opened the door, he rushed inside. "Where's her room?" She pointed up as she looked down from him. He rushed up the stairs. "Kairi!"

Inside of her room, she paused for a second once she heard the sound of his voice. "Kairi!" He looked around in the hall. He checked the rooms that were opened and opened the ones that were closed. Finally, he came across a locked door. "Kairi!" She kept her head buried in her knees that were up to her chest. She kept quiet so that he couldn't hear her. "Kairi! I know you're in there! Please open the door!" She still wouldn't respond. He pressed his hands against the door "Listen! I'm sorry! It's not what you think! I didn't know that was going happen!" He put his head down. "I never wanted that to happen…" She turned her head slightly and wondered whether or not to believe him. "Kairi! Please answer!" He breathed out with his head down. "I wouldn't hurt you like that. You know… right?" Still there was no response. He knocked on her door again and tried twisting the handle. "Kairi?!"

"Go…!" she shouted finally. "Just go away! Please… Leave me alone…"

He wasn't ready to give up yet. He had to talk to her. "Kairi-!"

"Please…! Just leave me alone… Please…" She couldn't contain her sobs as she buried her head in her knees.

He could hear her through the door. He breathed out. He didn't want to give up, but he couldn't reach her now and it would only make things worse if he tried. He left her with one last thing. "I meant what I said before. I don't want to lose you..." Sad and disappointed, he headed back downstairs.

Worried, Namine stood in the kitchen until he came into sight. He stopped nearby her. He was very angry with her, but mainly he didn't understand why. Her eyes traveled between him and the floor. "Sora…I'm…I'm sorry…"

"Why?" His voice sounded colder than how he meant it. He turned toward her. "Why would you do that to Kairi? She's your sister!" She looked down worried. "Why?!" he sounded impatient.

She closed her eyes tight. "I don't know…!" she shouted. "I…I've liked you for so long and I know that she's important to you, but when you said that we wouldn't be spending time together…" She lifted her eyes to him. "I just wanted to see… if you felt anything for me in return." Things turned silence. It was a lot for him to take in. Without a word, he walked out. Namine sat on the stool at the kitchen counter as she put both of her hands on the sides of her head with her eyes closed tight. She didn't know what she had expected to happen. All she knew was this wasn't what she wanted...

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	23. Sibling Rivalry: Breaking

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for reading the story! Hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, and Namine side of the story)_

 _Chapter 22: Breaking:_

She never knew that she could cry so many tears, but now, she knew it was possible. Kairi lied on her bed, unable to move from her spot. Time wasn't a factor anymore. She didn't know how long it had been since she had locked herself in her room. All she knew was that day had turned into night. She had seen the sun set in the horizon. The pain was still very fresh. It was a heavy burden on her chest, but mainly on her heart. Later, she heard a knock on her door. "Kairi! Dinner!" She didn't lift her head from her pillow once. "Kairi?" She still remained silent. After a few minutes, her mother left from the door. "It will be on the table when you're ready to eat." Kairi was surprised that she didn't make her come down, but it didn't matter. She closed her eyes and fell into sleep. At least there was a time she wouldn't have to feel like this...

Night turned into day. She awoke to find the sun shining on her face. Moments later, there was a knock on her door. "Kairi? Kairi will you let me in?" Feeling tired, she lifted herself from the bed and unlocked the door. Afterwards, her mother entered. She sat on the bed beside Kairi who lied down with her back turned to her mother. Her mother leaned against her back and brushed her bangs aside with her hand. "It's time to get up and go to school. It looks like you haven't changed out of your uniform since yesterday." Kairi didn't look over at her. She continued to stare toward her window. As much as she wished yesterday was a nightmare, she knew it wasn't. The boy she loved most had broken her heart. "You didn't eat your dinner yesterday. What's wrong?" There was still no response. Her mother placed her hand on her face and made her turn her head. "Oh Kairi… What is it? You don't look well. Are you sure you're not hungry?" Kairi barely shook her head. Her mother placed her hand against her forehead. Kairi's body refused to move. She felt limp. "You don't feel warm... Do you need to stay home?" Kairi stared forward as she nodded. She couldn't deal with seeing anyone today especially not Namine and definitely not Sora. She didn't know how she would react when she saw either one of them. For now, it was easier just staying away. Her mother rubbed her hair a little longer. "Feel well soon. You really should change out of your uniform." She stood up from her bed. "I'll make sure to tell Namine and Xion to pick up your homework. You don't need to fall behind." Soon, she closed the door behind her. Kairi closed her eyes and fell back asleep. There, she didn't have to feel anything.

* * *

At school, Sora searched around for Kairi. He stopped by her classes and where she would be after school, but there was no sign of her. The second day, she still didn't return. He asked their friends, but no one had heard from her. He started to get more worried than he already was. He walked passed the art room where Namine spotted him. He thought about asking since she would know, but his eyes couldn't meet hers just yet. He was still hurt over what happened. After school, he headed toward the library where he knew Riku would be. There, he found him getting ready to leave with Xion. "Guys!"

They looked back at him surprised. He didn't usually come that way after school. He caught up with them. "Hey Sora," Riku greeted him.

Anxiously, he looked over at Xion. "Xion?! Where's Kairi?!"

Xion stared at him surprised. The question caught her off guard since she thought he would know. "She's at home."

A worried came on Sora's face. "She hasn't been here the past few days?"

Xion glanced over at Riku before she looked at Sora. "She would walk with me every morning, but it seems now, every time I leave and come back, she's been in her room." That worried Sora deeply. It sounded like she hadn't left since he last spoke to her. His eyes traveled toward the ground, filled with guilt. Xion looked at him curious. "I'm worried about her. At dinner, she never comes down so I wonder if she's eating okay."

Riku gave a confused look toward Sora. "Haven't you talk to her?" Sora's eyes stayed glued to the floor, sad. Riku and Xion glanced at each other. They had no idea what was going on, but they knew something was up. "Sora?"

Sora didn't know if he should tell them. He figured that it would only make things worse, but he had to find some way to get to Kairi. Finally, he spoke, "It's my fault," he whispered.

Riku became more confused. "What?"

Xion looked surprised and curious. "Why?"

Sora pressed his lips tightly together before he spoke. He fully expected them to be mad at him. "Whatever you do…don't tell anyone else…"

The words he left them with had made both of them uneasy. With listening ears, Sora told them what happened. After he was done with the story, his eyes lowered toward the ground. Xion stood in shock along with Riku. At first, they couldn't believe what happened. Suddenly, Riku grabbed Sora's shirt as Sora kept his head turned away. "Riku?!" Xion called out worried.

There was an upset look on Riku's face. "What were you thinking?!"

Sora remained silence. Xion grabbed onto Riku's arm. "It wasn't his fault!"

"I know, but that's not what's pissing me off. If you love Kairi like you say you do, then do something about it!" Sora stared down as Riku let go of him. "She picked you! Don't take that for granted!"

The light left from his eyes. "I know…" Sora whispered, sad.

Xion stared toward the ground, stunned. "I can't believe it…" It made her sad that they were fighting like this, but inside, she was upset. Kairi was someone that she cared about too. She didn't want to see her hurt like this.

* * *

In her room, Namine glanced out of her window. She was worried about Kairi. Many times, she wanted to talk and apologize for what she had done, but she was afraid of what would happen if she did. She held her knees toward her chest as she continued to draw. Lately, her drawings had been filled with sadness.

All of a sudden, there was a knock on her door. She lifted her head surprised and wondered who it could be. What if it was Kairi? What if they would have their confrontation now? Uneasy, she went to her door and opened it.

"How could you?!" The question made her jump. Her fears subsided a little once she saw it Xion and not Kairi. Her eyes traveled down. "How could you do it?"

Namine sat down on her bed. She held her head down as her hands grabbed on tightly to her knees. "I know…and I'm sorry."

Xion sat in front of her. "Haven't you said anything to Kairi yet?"

Namine pulled her knees to her chest as she looked down. "No…" she said quietly.

Xion looked upset. "You have to say something! She's been in her room for days!"

"Did Kairi tell you…?"

"No. It was Sora." Namine lifted her head surprised. Xion looked serious. "He's been trying to talk to her for days, but she won't give him a chance. If you tell Kairi what happened, maybe they can get passed this."

Namine buried her face in her arms and knees. "I didn't want this to happen. I don't want to be a bad person…"

"Then make it right by talking to her." Namine knew Xion was right, but she didn't know if she would ever be ready.

* * *

Inside of her room, Kairi had her eyes closed, asleep. Sleeping had brought her some comfort. With a little bit of time, she felt slightly better. She woke up feeling the growl of her stomach. A little of her hunger returned. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She could sneak out and grabbed something without anyone noticing her. She went down to the kitchen. When she saw no one was there, she was thankful. The last thing she wanted was questions from her family. She went into the fridge and grabbed a few things. When she turned around, her eyes widened, almost making her drop the food from her hand. Her eyes met with that of another's.

Namine moved her lips at first, but then she retracted, worried. Upset, Kairi left the food on the counter and headed upstairs passed her. Before she left, Namine turned toward her. "I'm sorry!"

The words made Kairi stop. A deep set frown grew on her lips. "You're sorry…?" Namine stared down, disappointed. Kairi kept her back turned toward her. "I knew…for the longest time that you were in love with Sora…" Namine lifted her head surprised. "I tried not to let it bother me. I tried not to worry about it. You wanted a friend and I thought it would be okay." Kairi looked back at her uneasy. "I loved him for a long time too and I always told myself that I would let him decide. I thought he already had…" Her eyes lowered toward the floor. "I guess the time you two spent together says something different." Her crimson bangs covered over her eyes. "Can I ask…?" Namine waited as Kairi paused. At first, Kairi wasn't sure if she wanted to know, it pained her to, but she had to eventually. She turned her head more toward Namine. "How long…has this been going…?"

Namine shook her head. "No it wasn't like that!" She stepped closer. "Sora didn't do anything. It was me…" Kairi's eyes traveled down, disappointed. Namine looked down as well. "I thought…if I showed him how much I cared… I don't know what I was thinking, but… I just had to know…if he could care about me the way he cares about you…" They stood in silence until Kairi walked upstairs. Maybe this had been a bad idea to talk to Namine. Namine looked anxious. "Kairi-?"

She closed her eyes tight as she baled her fist. "How could you?! How-?" She covered her mouth with her hand. She thought she was up to it, but tears started forming in her eyes. She didn't want the crying to start happening again. Kairi turned her head to her. "You knew how I felt! Why would think that was okay to…?!" Tears already started running down her cheek. She couldn't contain it. Her hand wiped them away as they kept coming. "We might not have always been family, but ever since you came here, I've always considered you my sister. Not a stranger. I wondered if you had considered me the same…" Namine looked down toward the stairs. "I don't know what's worse…" Kairi whispered.

"I'm sorry…" Kairi headed upstairs toward her room. From below, Namine could hear her door closed. She headed up to her room as well. She looked through her notebook of the drawings she had done when she was younger. She saw a few crayon drawings she had done of the two of them. Soon, she buried her head in her knees. The feelings buried inside of her had only grew worse.

* * *

Another day passed. Kairi couldn't hold out any longer to stay home. She had to go back to school and she had to be prepared for what she would face. As some people greeted and checked on her, she smiled toward them. "Kairi!" Selphie rushed over to her once she saw her. "Are you okay?"

Kairi nodded toward her as she forced a believable smile. "Yeah. Just haven't been feeling well the last few days."

Selphie pressed the back of her hand to Kairi's forehead. "Are you sure? Did you get another fever again? You still seem kind of pale."

Kairi nodded. She didn't want to reveal the real reason. "Really? I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Selphie looked worried. "I was starting to get so worried. No one had heard from you. I asked Namine and Xion, but they didn't know what was going on, and Sora has been asking about you too."

Kairi managed not to react when she had heard his name. It felt as if something sharp had cut across her heart. "Oh…! Seriously, don't worry. I'm back now."

"Kairi!" Surprised, she saw Olette, Pence, Hayner, Wakka, and Tidus approach to ask how she was. She assured all of them that she was fine. When lunch came, Aqua, Yuna, Paine, and Rikku were concerned. Aqua pressed the back of her hand against Kairi's forehead like Selphie did before. Nervously she smiled and convinced them that she was okay. Surprisingly the one person she was afraid of running into, she didn't see that day. It came as sort of a relief that they didn't see each other yet.

The next day became a different story...

As they walked from school, Kairi noticed that Xion was watching her. She was still surprised that Sora told her what happened between them. Now she seemed worried about her all the time. Kairi smiled to assure her. "I'm okay. Really. You don't have to stay with me all the time." Xion wasn't sure about it. They hadn't discussed how she felt. Still, it made Kairi feel better that Xion was around.

"Kairi!" The familiar voice made her head turn forward. Instantly, she stopped in place.

Xion felt uneasy. Apart of her wanted to stay, but she knew it was better for them to talk about this on their own. She looked at Kairi concerned. "Kairi…"

Kairi looked toward her uneasy. "It's okay. Really…" Whether or not, if she was ready, she would have to deal with this talk at some point.

Uneasy, Xion let go of Kairi's arm. She glanced at the person in front of her before she walked off. Kairi's eyes wanted to meet his, but she couldn't. He stepped toward her. "Kairi…" Across from her, his throat tightened. He wanted to approach this carefully. Kairi grabbed onto her arm as she stared down toward the side. Slowly, he walked toward her. His eyes traveled from the ground to her. "I'm sorry..."

As much she wanted to move, her body wouldn't let her. "Don't…"

Sora froze. His arm dropped at his side. His eyes lowered again. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen…"

"I know." Surprised by her response, he lifted his head. "I know..."

Sora looked toward the side. "I didn't expect her to do that. I didn't know what to do."

"I know…" she responded again.

He looked surprised. Maybe there was hope that things would be all right now that she understood. "Then we're okay. Right?"

Kairi looked uneasy. "I…don't know what to think anymore. You're the nicest person I know. I know you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but… I think not being clear to Namine has given her hope and in return… that hurts us." Her words opened his eyes. She smiled as best as she could at him as she put her hands behind her. "I love you." He breathed in, a little hopeful. Her eyes traveled toward the side. "But I don't want the same mistake to happen again. It was hard enough the first time..." Kairi reached into her bag. She grabbed onto his hand and placed something inside.

Once he saw what it was, he was surprised. It was the necklace he had given her. Right away, he looked at her surprised and hurt. A sad smile appeared as she convinced herself that maybe this was for best. "What about-?"

As she closed her eyes, she shook her head. "The lucky charm was for you to keep. I always want it to bring you luck." She turned around and walked away.

"Wait!" He watched as she disappeared. Sora squeezed the necklace in his hand as he watched her. His heart dropped further into his chest. Maybe this really was the end...

* * *

"I see…" Aqua said, sympathetic. Kairi sat on the edge of her bed with a sad stare. "Well that explains a lot. I thought you were acting a little strange. Are you okay?"

Kairi's eyes traveled down toward her bed. "I don't know…" she whispered. Aqua walked over. She sat beside her and placed her arms around her. Kairi leaned her head on her shoulder with her eyes closed. For now it hurt, but it was something she had to get over.

* * *

Water brushed against the shore at sunset. He didn't know how long he had been staring out at the ocean while sitting on the sand, but at that moment, it didn't matter. He lost the girl who was most important to him. How could he move on from that? "There's the idiot!" Sora looked back to see Vanitas and Roxas walk toward him. Vanitas frowned toward him after he spoke. Sora sighed as he looked forward and placed his chin on his knees and arms. He wasn't ready to talk to anyone. They sat on both sides of him. "Heard you really messed up this time," Vanitas said.

Sora looked over confused. "How did you heard that…?"

Vanitas glared a little toward him. "Seems like your girl is better friends with my girl than I thought."

"Xion told me," Roxas clarified.

Sora let out another sigh. Vanitas leaned back on his hands. "You are not going to get a girl that good looking again. I don't know why she fell for someone like you anyway."

Roxas gave him a dull stare. "You're really helping over there…" He turned his attention to Sora, concerned. "You let her go just like that?"

Sora buried his face into his knees. "What else am I supposed to do…?"

Vanitas looked upset. "Actually do something about it!"

Roxas frowned as well. "I didn't spend all this time hearing you talk about her just for you not to be with her. Just go back in there and set things straight."

Sora looked over curious at Roxas and then Vanitas. "Do you think it will work?"

Vanitas shrugged. "You might as well. Just don't make me come back out here…"

Sora smirked. "Why did you come out here?"

Vanitas rolled his eyes. "Call it a favor for someone..."

* * *

After her student council meeting was over, Kairi walked into the hall. Things had been quiet lately now that she was on her own. Each day became a little easier. "Kairi!" Kairi turned around to see the boy that was the other class representative with her. "Do you mind if I walk with you?"

Kairi gave a small smile. "Sure."

Nervously he rubbed his head. "I noticed that you've been walking alone lately. Is everything okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. Why wouldn't it be?"

Uneasy, he glanced between her and the floor. "I noticed that… you haven't walked with Sora lately…"

The question caught her off guard. "Hm?"

"Have you two…split?" he asked.

Kairi thought carefully about what to say. "Things are fine. Just been busy with school."

He smiled a little. "Well… I wanted to invite you to the party that was happening Friday night. Some of our class is going."

She looked off to the side, uneasy. "I don't know…"

A cheerful, determined look came on his face. "Oh come on! As class representatives, we should show and make a good impression..."

As much as Kairi wanted to say no, she saw the pleading look on his face. She smiled, giving in. "Sure."

He smiled. "Great! I'll see you there!"

"See you there!" The two walked with each other afterwards. The boy glanced at her as he smiled. Already it seemed like Friday night was going to work out perfectly.

* * *

Inside of the art room, Sora stepped inside. In order to make amends, he had to do what was right. His eyes lifted to see Namine who had her back turned, working on her drawing. "Namine?"

Namine looked back surprised. She stopped what she was doing and turned her attention to him. "Sora!"

Uneasy, he rubbed his head. "After you're done, do you mind if you walk with me?"

Namine became curious. A lot of things went through her mind from good to bad, but there was only one way to find out for sure. After she packed her things, she walked alone with Sora outside. As they walked, they were quiet toward each other at first. Namine felt really nervous, but she decided to speak first. "Sora?" She stopped in front of him. "I'm really sorry about what happened. I knew how you felt about Kairi, but… I have cared about you for so long that I had to see if you cared for me the same way. Can you forgive me…?"

Sora was silent for a moment before he spoke. "It was my fault too."

Namine shook her head. "No!"

"It was. Kairi was right. I should have been clear in the first place… I really do care about you. We've known each other since we were little. I knew something was there, but I thought we would always be friends." He glanced toward the ground before he looked at her. "The truth is I love Kairi. I always have. I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but I don't feel the same way about you that you do about me." Namine froze. The words she dreaded to hear had finally come to light. "You're one of my closest friends and that I don't want to lose that." Her heart sunk further into her chest. She tried to prepare herself, but it was too much. "I'm sorry..." Afterwards, Sora turned and walked away. Her eyes lowered toward the ground as she squeezed tighter onto her bag. As much as she tried to fight it, tears came to her eyes. She fell to her knees as she placed her head down.

* * *

As night approached the small town. Kairi stepped into the house where the party was being held. She smiled as she recognized some of her classmates. The boy with the glasses waved his hand toward her. "Kairi!" She smiled toward him as she waved back. She walked across the room and sat beside him away from the crowd.

* * *

Along the road, Sora headed for home. His hands were in his pockets as he looked toward the ground, thinking. When he asked around, no one had seen Kairi. As he walked, he finally came across one more familiar face. "Selphie?"

Selphie looked surprised at first, but then smiled. "Sora!" She stopped in front of him. "Are you heading to the party going on tonight?"

He looked confused. "Party?"

Selphie pointed back. "Yeah. I thought maybe you were going since Kairi was."

Sora looked confused. It wasn't like her to go to a party. Either way, this was his chance to find her. "Where is it?" Selphie turned and pointed in the direction of where it was being held.

* * *

Kairi let out a giggle as she spoke with her fellow classmate. At first, she wasn't sure about coming, but she was having a good time with him. "It's good to see you smile again. You just seemed sad lately." She looked down at her cup in her hands. He really did notice. "Hey! Do you want to get some fresh air? We could talk outside." Kairi nodded. As they walked away, another figure stepped in and noticed them from afar.

The two walked along the shore. He pointed out toward the island. "I haven't really been over there before."

Kairi placed her hands behind her back. "It's the place me and my friends would play."

He gave her an excited smile. "Could I see it?"

Kairi nodded. "Sure."

The two traveled in her boat and made it to the island. The boy looked around. "Wow! This place is huge!" They sat on the edge near the water. He handed her a bottle. "Here! I grabbed some punch from the party."

Kairi smiled toward him. "Thanks." She took a sip from it.

The boy looked curious. "I'm really surprised that you didn't come with Sora. So be honest, are you two still together?"

She looked uneasy as she stared toward the sand. "I'm not really sure myself."

"Can't say that I'm not happy to hear that."

She looked over curious. "How come?"

He smiled toward her. "You deserve better. About time."

She started to get a little upset. "You make him sound like a bad person. He's really sweet and kind-."

A faint smirk appeared on his lips. "And yet he kisses your sister?"

His words stunned her. "How…how did you know that?"

"I just happen to overhear. I had to see if you were free." His words made an uncomfortable feeling come over her. The look on his face became more transparent. "He's good looking. I get it, but I wouldn't treat you like that."

Kairi frowned. "That's unfair to say! It wasn't his fault!"

The boy shook his head as he laughed a little. "Oh Kairi! Don't be so naïve. It's obvious what he was doing. Why have one girl when he could have two? It's time for you to move on." He reached over and grabbed her hand. Quickly, she snatched her hand away and stood up concerned. "You deserve someone else who wouldn't do that to you." More she felt uncomfortable. She glanced toward the ocean, thinking of an excuse to head back to town. A lot of desperation came on his face. "You're very pretty... It took a long time, but when you were volunteered to be a student representative, I knew that was my chance. That's when I joined. It was only a matter of time and-." The boy smirked. "-he was stupid enough to give me the chance!" The way his words had a sinister tone scared her. She pressed her fist against her chest. It became clear that she had made a mistake. He stepped closer to her as she looked worried. "Oh Kairi…" He grabbed her wrist. "I finally get my chance."

Kairi snatched her wrist from his hand. "Let go of me!"

Anxiously, he grinned. "I've always cared about you, but you would never think of me as anything more."

Before he could grab her again, she took off running. All of a sudden, she started to feel dizzy. She placed her hand against her head as she groaned. She managed to stay on her feet. "What…?"

He started to approach her. "Who knew what you could buy when you find the right person." Deviously he smirked. "To think, I can say that I was the first one with Kairi…" He reached for her, but she pushed him away. He grabbed ahold of her arm. Kairi used her other hand and punched him "Ow!" he let out a loud cry. He fell back against the ground. Quickly she ran toward the dock and climbed into her boat. She managed to push it off into the ocean. It seemed for now she had created enough distant between them.

Suddenly, she felt her boat grabbed. The boy climbed on board. She looked over worried to see him look worried. "Wait!" He couldn't afford for her to escape. She moved back against the edge of the boat to avoid his reach.

The rocking of the boat was too much. Dizziness had hit her hard. The back of her legs hit the edge of the boat and she fell into the water. She started floating downwards. Darkness approached fast. As she was falling, she could feel herself lose consciousness. As much as she tried to fight it, it overtook her. At that moment, it seemed like this would be the end. Several memories came to mind about things that she would miss out on. Mainly, she wished that she had made amends with the person that was the most important to her. _"I'm sorry…"_ Though her words would never reach him, those would be her last. Through her blurred vision, she saw a mysterious figure jump into the water as they made a splash. Maybe the boy had finally caught up with her. She didn't have the strength to fight back against him again. Soon, she let the darkness over take her.

* * *

 _To be continued... Stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	24. Sibling Rivalry: Reconnect

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter! _

__**Also warning:** this chapter does get a little lime-y...__

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry (Sora & Kairi side of the story)_

 _Chapter 23: Reconnect:_

Kairi let out a deep gasp as her eyes shot open. Suddenly, she awoke out of her sleep. Her body jerked up a little as she sat up on her elbows. The first thing she noticed was the sun shining brightly through the window. She couldn't believe that it was already day. Maybe last night had been a dream. As quickly as she thought that was as quickly she realized it wasn't. When she looked down at herself, the only thing she was wearing was a white shirt with grey, short sleeves that stopped at the top of her legs. The last thing she remembered was being on the island during the night. Right away, worry struck her. She remembered being with the boy with glasses and falling unconscious. Now she was lying on a bed in someone's bedroom.

Dark thoughts crossed her mind. What could have happened to her while she was unconscious? When she thought about how she felt, she was surprised. She didn't feel any different than what she expected. Her eyes searched around the room she was in. Still, she didn't recognize it. It was messy with clothes and other belongings on the floor. Above, she noticed a boat hanging on a string that had two dolls inside. One seemed like a boy and the other a girl. She wrapped her arms around her knees. As much as she wanted to run away, she had to find out what happened to her the night before.

All of a sudden, she heard a door open on the other side of the room. She couldn't see the door or the person walking inside. She shielded her arm in front of her ready to defend herself. She wouldn't let anyone try to hurt her. Soon, the mysterious person stepped into sight. Kairi looked surprised as her arm lowered and her lips parted. The person closed the door behind them wearing just black pants with a belt hanging at the waist. In his hand, he carried a plate of toast and eggs. From across the room, their eyes met. He returned the same surprised stare. While she was still surprised, her body felt a state of relief. "It's you," she sounded grateful. She sat on her legs as he sat down in front of her. Both of them closed their eyes as they lightly pressed their noses against one another's. "Sora…" she whispered. He had no idea how happy she was to see him.

Soon, he lifted his head up from her. "How are you feeling?"

She stared at him completely lost as to what was going on. "I'm…not sure…"

He held the plate out toward her. "Here. I brought you breakfast. I thought you might be hungry."

She nodded and started eating a piece of toast. Soon her eyes met with his again. "Where are we?" She looked around. "How did I end up here?" Another thought crossed her mind which made jump, worried. "Oh no! I'm going to get in a lot trouble if my parents find out-."

Sora smiled to calm her down. "Don't worry! Last night, I called Xion and told her to cover for you. My house was closer so I brought you here, plus it would have been harder to get you back into your room."

Uneasy, she asked, "What…happened last night?" Her eyes traveled to the side as she thought back. "The last thing I remember was running and then I fell in the ocean. I thought I was going to drown." Suddenly, the memory of someone diving into the water toward her and reaching out popped into her mind. Her eyes widened as she connected the two. She looked over at Sora. "It was you! You were the one who saved me!" Kairi noticed the smile disappear from his face. "How did you know where to find me? What happened to…?" her voice faded out. She shook her head as she looked down. Her hand rubbed her face. "That was so stupid of me! I shouldn't have gone out there alone…" She closed her eyes, worried about what could have happened.

Sora placed an arm around her and pull her closer for comfort. "It's okay."

Kairi pressed her face against his warm chest. The scent from his skin was soothing. "I tried to fight, but I don't know what happened."

Sora looked determined. "You won't have to worry about that guy again. I won't let anyone try to hurt you like that."

She relaxed against him, but was still concerned. "What happened?"

Sora thought back to last night. "If it wasn't for Selphie telling me where you were, I wouldn't have made it in time to help. I saw you guys leave the party. I tried to catch up with you, but you guys had already headed to the island." His eyes lowered toward the ground. "By the time I got there, I saw that you were in trouble. You were running and trying to get away. I tried to get to you as fast as I could, but you had already fell into the water…"

" _Kairi!" Sora stood up in his boat and dived into the water. Right away, he noticed something was wrong. She wasn't trying to swim. He knew that she knew how to. He reached out for her hand, but s_ _he was sinking fast_ _. He pushed himself further and managed to grab it. At first, she resisted and tried to push him away, but he grabbed on tightly to her. Finally, she gave up resisting._

 _The boy looked concerned. What if something bad happened to both of them? He would be the one to get in trouble for it. Suddenly, Sora hit the surface and breathed in deeply. He pressed Kairi close to him as she had her eyes closed. He swam back toward the island. Once he could feel his feet touched the ground, he stood up. He picked her up in his arms and carried her onto the shore. The boy started to worry. It didn't seem like Kairi was breathing. Sora placed her down on top of the dock. He pinched her nose and breathed into her. He knew that she had to have swallowed some water since she wasn't holding her breath. A few times, he pushed against her chest and breathed into her. Nearby, the boy managed to make it back to shore on the boat as he watched what happened. Both began to worry since she wasn't responding._

 _Finally, Kairi coughed up water that she had been holding in. Sora helped her to sit up and leaned her head against his chest. His arms wrapped around her to keep her warm. "Kairi…" Below him, he could hear her breathe again. It came as a relief that she was okay. Her eyes remained closed as she slipped back to unconsciousness._

 _The boy breathed out in relief that she was fine, but once he saw Sora's glare pierce into him, he took a deep breath back in. Carefully, Sora laid Kairi back on the surface of the deck and walked over toward him. Worried, the boy stepped back. He slipped and fell back against the sand. He crawled backwards, worried what Sora would do next. Sora grabbed his shirt and kneeled down toward him. His glare was enough to strike fear into him. "Wait! Wait!"_

" _What did you do?!" Sora yelled._

" _I-I- I didn't-," the boy stuttered._

" _What happened to Kairi?! Why was she running away from you?!"_

" _I-I don't know-." He noticed Sora's fist baled at his side. As much as Sora didn't want to hurt anyone, he would do what he had to, to get the truth. He raised his fist. "Wait! Wait! Not in the face! Not in the face!"_

" _What happened?!" Sora pushed again._

 _He held his hands in front of him just in case Sora decided to strike. "I-I- It was just supposed to be something to relax her! I didn't know it would knock her out!"_

 _Sora stared at him, stunned. "You…You were going to take advantage of her…" he murmured. The words were unbelievable to say, but that was the reality._

" _I-I didn't know it was going to do that! That was what the guy in the black coat told me!"_

" _It doesn't matter! She could have died!" He pushed the boy back as he let go of his shirt. "Stay away from Kairi! If you come near her again, then you'll have to deal with me."_

" _Okay! Okay!" He turned and was about to walk away, but the thought still crossed his mind. Mentally, he shrugged at the idea. The boy breathed out in relief that it was over until he felt a punch to his face. The impact of the punch broke his glasses and knocked him out on to the ground. Sora didn't know he had that much strength in him. For now, he would blame his actions on the influence of Vanitas and Roxas. He knew how their tempers could be when they were angry and knew they would do a lot worse if it were them. Afterwards, Sora grabbed the boats that were floating in the water. He tied Kairi's boat to his. After he was set, he picked up Kairi and headed back to the shore._

"After we got back, I took you to my house while no one was home and let you sleep in my room."

Kairi lifted her head from him surprised. "You left him on the island?"

"That hit really knocked him out and there's nothing left for him to get back."

She was still surprised over everything that happened. "Never thought you would hit anyone."

Sora grinned. "I'll just blame it on Vanitas and Roxas."

A giggle slipped out of her lips. Then, she smiled a little as she thought about what he had done for her. "You…saved my life." She leaned her head against his shoulder. She could never repay him for what he had done. "Thank you…" she whispered. Gently, he smiled. He was glad that she was okay. She stayed in his warm embrace until another thought crossed her mind. "Um Sora?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

At her next question, her cheeks flooded with red. She lifted up from him as he looked curious. "What happened to my clothes…?" she replied nervously.

His face turned a little red, matching hers. "I…Well… I couldn't just leave you in wet clothes all night because you could get sick so…" She glanced up and noticed that her dress and underwear was hanging nearby to dry. Nervously, he waved his hands. "I didn't see anything! I… really tried not to…"

She grabbed onto her arm nervously. "It's-It's okay…" He looked over at her as he blushed at well. Then he spoke, "I really am sorry about before..."

Gently, she smiled toward him. "I'm sorry too…" After what they had been through, everything before that didn't seem like a big deal anymore. She shook her head. "You're a good person. I know you wouldn't have done that to me on purpose." She placed her hair behind her hair as she looked toward the bed. "It's just…I wasn't sure if you really wanted to be…with me..."

"You were right. I had to be honest. I told Namine that I didn't feel that way about her." His eyes lifted up to her. "I said that I love you." Nervously, he scratched the back of his head. "I should be asking you… if you want to be…"

As she smiled at him, her heart filled with happiness. She leaned her head against his forehead. "Of course I do. I only want to be with you." A smile appeared that mirrored her. Once they parted, their eyes met.

He kept his hand behind his head. "Can you… forgive me?"

Her lips curved into a smile. She placed her hand on top of his. There was no question. "It's already forgotten." Afterwards, he flashed her a smile that would make any heart melt. To see him happy made her grateful that they were together again. A laugh escaped from their lips as they stared at each other. Soon, they both leaned in closer as they pressed their hands against the bed. Silently, they debated about who would make the first move. Playfully, he moved toward her and pressed his lips against hers. Things finally felt mended between them.

Her eyes gazed into his before they leaned in again. Their kiss was filled with yearning and passion. The tips of her fingers grazed against his cheeks as he placed his hand at her waist and moved his body closer to hers. Slowly, she crawled back as he followed in, not breaking their kiss. She laid back against the bed as he leaned forward. His body hovered over hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her head rested against the pillow. As they relaxed, her hands traveled along his back to his chest. His hand slid against the side of her waist to her hips. Her knees rose up and pressed in at the sides of his waist as he pressed his hips against hers. His lips moved from her jaw line to her neck. With her eyes closed, she tilted her head back as she breathed out. His hand slipped underneath her shirt and gently caressed her stomach. The tickling sensation caused her to giggle which made him grin in return. Slowly, his fingers brushed up against her until he felt the bottom of her chest. "Hm." When he lifted his head, he noticed the way she breathed heavily and an expression on her face he hadn't seen before. Red covered her cheeks as her eyes were closed. Then he noticed how they were. His shirt on her was lifted up toward her chest, only inches away from uncovering her whole body. Resisting the urge, he sat up from her. A surprised look came on her face as she wondered why he stopped. "What is it?" she breathed out. Her chest rose up and down out of breath. Kairi noticed that he had grown quiet. Then she noticed how they were. They hadn't been this close before. Curious, she sat up on her elbows.

Sora smiled a little as he rubbed the back of his head, nervously. "Got a… little carried away there..." He lowered his shirt over her body. Then, he sat up and leaned over toward his stand. "We should finish eating." That was one thing that would keep his mind busy from what could've happened.

A part of her noticed them heading somewhere more intimate, but at that moment, she didn't mind. Her eyes traveled down as she thought. The two of them had been through a lot and each experience had brought them closer than before. Deep down, she really did love him. She felt safe whenever she was around him. When she left her thoughts, Kairi looked over toward the door. "It's been pretty quiet since I woke up."

"It's only the two of us here," he answered between chews.

It surprised her to hear that. Already, her mind had been set about taking the next step with him, but now with them being alone, maybe this would be their chance. Kairi sat on the front of her legs as her fingers grabbed onto the edges of the shirt she wore. "It's…okay."

He looked over clueless as he ate. "What?"

Gently, she smiled toward him. "If you want to, we can…" her voice faded toward the end. With a nervous smile, Kairi stared at him as her cheeks were filled with red. Her fingers fiddled with the edges of her shirt. Instantly, his mouth stopped moving once things clicked in his mind. His eyes widened as he stared at her. She continued, "I mean…we're going to be together for a while and…if you'll have me…" She lifted her eyes to his. "I want you to be the first to…" Her fingers relaxed against her shirt and she let go of some of her nervousness.

Sora could feel his own nervousness weighing on him as well. The way she looked in his shirt, the curves of her body that shown through, and the inviting gaze of her eyes, how could he resist? "Are-Are you sure?! I- I mean-?!" She giggled for a second. It was cute when he got nervous. She glanced down before she nodded as she placed her hair behind her ear.

Sora gulped the remaining food down his throat while his eyes stayed glued to hers. He could tell that she was sure about this. It made him slightly less nervous. Sora placed his plate aside on the floor. Then, he crawled toward her as she waited. Neither one seemed to change their minds at the moment. He leaned over as he tilted his head toward her and closed his eyes along with hers. He pressed his lips against hers. They parted on and off as they started slow. Lightly, his tongue brushed against her bottom lip as his hands slid against her arms. She leaned back as he leaned forward. Her back pressed against his bed as he hovered over her. Parting from her, the two had come face to face. Sora stared down at her. At first, Kairi looked surprised that he had stopped, but then she grinned toward him. "I love you," she said between them.

A heartfelt smile came on his face. In front of him was the girl he loved most and he would stay with her as long as he could. "I love you too," he whispered back.

Their eyes lowered to a close as they kissed again. Once they relaxed, everything felt natural. As their kisses intense, he slipped his tongue inside and brushed it against hers. His fingers slipped through his dark red hair and pushed her closer to him. The other hand began caressing against her side, raising her shirt slightly. Her head tilted toward the side as she felt him go for her neck again. The tingling sensation coursed through her body and caused her to breathe out. His hands grabbed onto her hips, pulling her closer to his hips. Her knees rose and became locked at his waist. A soft moan escaped from her as she felt his hips rub between her thighs. His lips traveled from her neck down to her chest. She could feel his hand run against her sides and brushed across her breasts over the top of his shirt. At his touch, another small moan escaped from her lips. His hands grabbed and began squeezing. Underneath his hands, they felt soft to the touch. Between his fingers he grazed against the sensitive and rising mounds.

He could hear breath escape her body. His eyes traveled upwards to see her face flushed with red as her arms rested near the sides of her head. It was new to see her react this way, completely under his touch. Slightly, her head turned toward him as her eyes were partly open. The expression on her face was of one he hadn't seen her make before. It had made him want her that much more. She could it see in his eyes as well. Both of them had desired to go further. Her eyes lowered to a close as she rested against his pillow. The pleasure was too much. The longer he touched her, the more her lower half ached for him. Her body started to react on its own. Her legs lowered from his waist and spread further apart. Soon, he parted from her and sat back on his legs. He loosened the belt from his waist and dropped it to the floor. Afterwards, he leaned over again. His lips spread from her flushed cheek to her earlobe. As they kissed, he reached down and loosened the button and zipper from his pants. A moan left from her lips as she felt the back of his hand brushed between her thighs. Soon, his lips captured hers again. His hips rubbed against hers as she breathed out. Both of them only moments away from taking the next step…

"Sora!" a voice called from afar.

At the call, Kairi opened her eyes. He didn't seem to notice, but she was sure that she heard his name. During their heated embrace, she tapped his shoulder. "Um…? Sora?" she breathed out. "Ah!" A moan escaped from her lips as she felt the touch of his hand again on her chest. She tried to keep her voice low enough that no one else would hear. "Wait! Wait!" she whispered loudly. "I think-I- think there's…" she struggled not to raise her voice, but it was hard.

"Sora?! Are you still home?!" the voice called again.

Soon, they heard a knock on the door. Sora lifted his head surprised. "Hm?" It took a second, but then his eyes widened in surprised. Quickly, he stood up and adjusted himself. He grabbed the first shirt he spotted on the floor and quickly threw it on. Kairi sat up as she pulled the edge of her shirt to her legs. Together their hearts were beating rapidly.

Sora rushed over and stepped out. He closed the door behind him. His mother was surprised to see him rush out, but she brushed it aside. "Sorry! Were you sleeping?"

Nervously, he looked back toward the door as he squeezed the knob. "Um…? Sort of…"

It made her more curious as to what was going on, but she decided to not to question it. "I was wondering if you could help me with some bags. I would ask Roxas, but he's out again."

Sora nodded. "Sure! I got it." As they walked, she pulled at the tag that was on the back of his shirt and grinned. "No need to rush. I'm not in that big of a hurry for you to put your shirt on the wrong way." Sora looked back toward her hand. Apart of him was relieved that his mom didn't suspect anything else.

Inside of Sora's room, Kairi breathed out as she sat on his bed. While things were quiet, she used that time to relax her body from its excitement. Soon, she closed her eyes and flopped on her side. It was a close call, but it maybe it was for the best. Otherwise, things could have turned out worse. There would always be next time.

"Kairi?" She closed her eyes tight. She felt a hand on her shoulder and someone beside her. It wasn't until then that she realized that she had fell asleep. She looked back to see Sora smile a little toward her. "I didn't think you would fall asleep that fast."

She let out a little smile. "I guess…I was more tired than I thought."

His arms wrapped around her as she snuggled up next to him. Her head leaned against his chest. Something about his scent was always soothing. Her eyes lowered to a close. His eyes lowered to a close as well. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head against him. "It's okay."

"Do you want me to walk you home?" she heard his voice ask above her.

"Hmm…" Since it was a Saturday, there wasn't anywhere that she needed to be and the last thing she wanted to do was leave his side. "Can I stay here with you?"

His lips curved into a smile. "Stay as long as you want." His answer made her smile. Soon, she relaxed against him. It wasn't long before they fell asleep together.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	25. The Runaways: Seashells By The Seashore

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story!  
_

* * *

 _The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, Riku, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 24: Seashells By The Seashore:_

Xion stood in front of the mirror for a few more seconds before she smiled and left the room. She ran downstairs, passed the kitchen, to get to the door. Kairi sat in the kitchen when she noticed Xion. "Xion!" Xion stepped back to see who called her. Once she seen it was Kairi, she looked curious. Kairi grinned. "So? Where are you off to in a hurry?"

Xion looked a little nervous toward the side. "Um? Somewhere…"

Kairi leaned on her hand, interested. "Somewhere as in to meet someone?" The nervousness on Xion's face grew. Kairi closed her eyes as she smiled. "You don't have to be embarrassed. It's okay."

Xion let out a gentle smile. She was anxious to get going. "I'll see you later." Kairi nodded and Xion left.

Xion headed to the island. When she got there, Roxas was already there waiting for her. She tied her boat to the dock. Roxas held out his hand to help. She took his hand as she got up on the dock and smiled. Roxas smiled back. "Ready?"

Xion nodded. "Yeah." The two spent the afternoon searching for shells. They began near the docks and made their way across the beach. Along the way, they laughed and talked. During their search, they had fun as they picked up shells they thought were pretty. About an hour had passed when they made it close to the bridge before they decided to call it quits. They went back toward the middle of the beach between the dock and the bridge and sat down near the ocean. Roxas placed his knees up near his chest and leaned his arms on his knees. "So? Did you find any you like?"

"I found a few." Xion held out her hand to show him the ones she really liked. She let out a giggle. "You know… I really started collecting these because I do like them."

Roxas shrugged a little. "I thought it would be something we can do together so we could hang out. After this, I was thinking we could grab some sea salt ice cream."

Xion nodded toward him and then stared out at the ocean. "This was fun. I'm going to keep these." Afterwards, she placed them in her bag.

Roxas looked over at the ocean too. "Good." Inside, he was happy. It was almost like old times when they used to spend time together. He stared at the ocean for a few more seconds before he looked over at Xion. Uneasy, his eyes traveled down her arm. Slowly, the smile faded from his face. On her arm, he could see little scars that she had gotten from what the organization did. Scars that hadn't gone away yet.

Xion looked over curious and wondered what he was looking at. She followed his eyes down. It was easy to tell afterwards. "Roxas…" He reached over and touched her arm. Her eyes lowered as a sad look appeared. "I don't want you to blame yourself anymore for what happened. Please..." He rubbed his thumb across one of her scars. Afterwards, she felt uneasy. "I didn't want to show anyone after I got them."

Roxas held out his arm that carried the long scar he had. "I didn't want to show this either, but I still get questions about it." Xion looked down. Roxas could see that she was getting sad again so he smiled to cheer her up. "Hey! Let's not think about the past. We came to have fun."

Xion smiled a little and nodded. "Yeah."

Afterwards, things became silence. Nervousness started to build in them both. Eventually, Roxas spoke first. "So? Is everything else okay?"

Xion nodded with her eyes closed. "Yeah."

Roxas looked toward the side. There was a question that had been weighing on his mind for a long time. Now that they were alone, he had to know where he stood. "I guess… I've been meaning to ask if… you and Riku were together?"

Xion looked a little surprised that he brought it up. She looked over to the side. "Well…" Lightly, she scratched the side of her cheek.

Roxas wondered what was going on. He thought it would've been a simple answer. "Xion?"

When she looked over, she could see him waiting for her to answer. The truth was she wasn't sure how to answer. "Well… When I got a second chance to start things over, I wanted everything in my life to change so I tried to move on after I was adopted by my new family. Then, Kairi introduced me to Riku in the hospital." She looked toward the sand as she placed her hair behind her ears. "Eventually, we started spending most of our time together. I saw it as an opportunity to help me forgot my past."

Roxas looked curious. "So? Does anybody besides me know about your past?"

Xion shook her head. "No. At least not everything. My parents only know some things. I've never told them what happened to me. Not even to Kairi or Riku."

He looked toward the side, serious. "So… I guess from you said, you two are together. He would get upset every time he seen us."

Xion looked concerned. "Roxas..." She wrapped her arms around her legs. "Besides finding out if I was okay, did you also try to see if I was with him?"

Roxas looked down as he thought about it. "Yeah. The truth is I did know. I just wanted to make sure that you were doing okay with him. So…? Are you happy with him?" If the answer was yes, a part of him would be disappointed. He was hoping that she could be happy with him. After he snapped out of his own thoughts, he noticed that she was silent. "Xion?"

Xion stared forward toward the ocean. "The truth is…I am." Roxas's breath shortened. He was afraid that would have been her answer. "To get over my past, he became one of my closest friends. I'll never forgot what he did for me." Her eyes traveled along the water. "And I think…I might know how he feels about me. That's what I'm afraid of."

Roxas became more confused. "You aren't using this as a way not to think about the past… are you?" Xion looked down unable to face him. He started to get worried. "Xion. Tell me. You shouldn't just make up your happiness just because you want to escape."

She closed her eyes as she felt bad. "I know. I thought that maybe I could like him just the same, if it would've been the two of us, but…"

Roxas anxiously waited for her answer. "But…?"

She turned her head to him. "But then you came along." He stared at her surprised. Xion smiled a little. "I started to remember you and everything we've been through. I remembered how I used to feel. Still… you're right. He helped me escape from my past, but with you I feel like I can deal with it."

Roxas scooted in closer. "Xion…."

She shook her head a little. "I know… but I don't know what to do…"

He smiled for comfort. "It'll be okay," he assured her.

Xion opened her eyes a little and smiled. "I know."

Nervous, she was afraid to ask a question of her own. It took her some time, but she decided to ask. "So…? Can I ask…?"

Roxas looked surprised and curious. "Ask what?"

She looked up at him as a little red came to her cheeks. "Why did you…kiss me?"

Roxas remained as calm as he could. "What?"

Xion tilted her head toward the side. "It was twice."

Roxas was at a loss for words. He blinked nervously as he looked around where they were. "Well… You said that it helped you remembered whenever you were close to me and it seemed like you remembered more when I kissed you so that's why I did it the second time…sort of."

Xion looked curious. "You didn't know that would work the first time or again so why?"

"I um…?" He started to get worried about what she would say if he answered.

Xion smiled and placed her hand on his. "I can make it easier. Is it because you have deep hidden feelings for me?" she asked, partially joking.

"Um…?" Roxas sighed with his eyes closed. It was too late to turn back now. "My brother asked me the same thing, but I wasn't sure... I didn't think about it. So now that I have, I think that…" He scratched his head nervously. "…I do like you. You're my best friend and… you mean something to me."

Afterwards, he looked over to her what she wanted to say next. All he saw was her smile. Then she thought back. "Since I started trying to remember you, I wondered the same thing. Why am I trying to remember you? You showed me so much kindness since we first met and you were my friend..."

"What else am I supposed to show you?" he joked.

She smiled more. "Also, since then… I wondered if maybe… I had feelings for you too and when you kissed me…, I wondered why I kissed you back. So maybe there is… something there."

Hope had built in him. "I feel like that there's something there too."

Curiously, she looked over. "Should we…try?"

Roxas stared into her eyes. He wasn't going to let this pass by. "Only if you want to."

Xion looked nervous before she looked back at him. "Yeah." Her answer made him happier. Not only could he protect her, but he could also find a way to make her happy. Then she looked down sad. "But…I don't want to hurt Riku. He's a nice guy and he's done so much for me. Only leading him on would just hurt him more."

Roxas grabbed her hand. "Do whatever you think is right."

Xion smiled at him. She was glad that he was there. As things were silent between them, he leaned in and kissed her. Instantly, she closed her eyes. It felt right being with him and happy. She knew no matter what, he would never hurt her. Though Roxas was a part of her past, he was the only one in her past that she was glad to have back. He was someone that she truly cared about. He placed his hand against the side of her hair. as she put her hand against his shoulder. Afterwards, they separated. He smiled at her, happier than she knew. Xion closed her eyes as she grinned. "You got sand in my hair."

Roxas grinned back. "I think it was worth it." He stared at her for a few more moments, enjoying the time he had spent with her alone. Then, he looked toward the sky. It wouldn't be long before the sun would be going down. He turned back to her. "You want me to take you home?"

She gave a little bit of a disappointed look despite her smile. "If you must…" she replied jokily. Roxas stood up and held out his hand. She took it and stood up. Not wanting to go right away, they walked around the island, talking a little, but mainly spending time in silence just happy. Afterwards, they got in their boats and headed for home.

Once they got on shore, they walked hand in hand. The plan was to head toward Xion's house first. Roxas looked over at her as he gently smiled. "I'm glad you had a good time today."

Xion grinned. "Yeah. I caught more than just seashells." They both laughed a little at her joke as they kept walking.

Ahead of them, a group of people walked toward their direction. Roxas and Xion kept smiling until Xion spotted the people ahead of them. She stopped, worried as she pressed her hand to her chest. Roxas noticed the change in her expression and became curious. "Xion? What's wrong?" Then, Roxas's eyes widened as noticed her eyes start to shake. He followed the direction she was looking. It was then he realized what had her on edge. He could see them. People from the organization. Quickly, he reacted and tried to pull her along as his hand wrapped around her tight, but she remained frozen. "Xion!" She could hear him, but she still didn't respond. All of the bad memories she had flooded back to her at once. He managed to pull her along a little. "Come on!"

Finally, she listened and ran off with him. She knew if she stayed on the island that there would be a chance of seeing them again. She was always afraid that it would happen. They tried to hide in between the pathways of the houses as they walked fast. Suddenly, someone had jumped in front of them, which had made them stop. "You two weren't going to stop without saying hi were you?" When Roxas and Xion looked up, they saw Demyx grinning in front of them.

Luxord, Vexen, and Marluxia stepped in behind them. Roxas looked around at each of them as they were surrounded. Risking it, he grabbed tighter onto Xion's hand and ran past. "You really think running away will help you escape us?"

Roxas stopped as he heard the familiar voice behind him. In front of them was Larxene who stopped them from leaving. Roxas turned around as he placed Xion behind him. Xion leaned against his back with her eyes closed tight. She couldn't handle being there much longer. Roxas looked angry. "Just leave us alone!"

Larxene tilted her head over as he tried to see Xion. "Awe! She's still afraid of us... That wouldn't have been the case if you would've just stayed."

Xion clutched onto the back of Roxas's shirt tighter. She was shaking behind him. Roxas growled a little. "We're not interested so just let us go!"

Some of the members laughed at his request. Roxas looked around upset. Then, another person joined them. "Just let them go." When Roxas and Xion looked over, they saw Saix with a frown on his face. The rest of the organization frowned as well. Roxas didn't trust his word, but he wasn't going to make them stick around for much longer to find out. He took Xion's hand and ran off. The organization remained still. Larxene stepped over to Saix angry. "Why did you let them go?!"

Saix walked away. "We have other things to do beside play your little games." Larxene growled. The rest of the organization followed behind. As Larxene stood, she thought of another way she could mess with Roxas and Xion...

* * *

Roxas and Xion walked to Xion's house. Both of them had their heads down, tired. Neither one of them knew what they should've done when they were confronted by the organization, but they were just glad nothing happened. Roxas was relieved for that. He looked over at Xion. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "I'm sorry I froze up like that." Xion shook her head. "I'm not sure why."

He smiled a little to comfort her. "It's okay. I understand why you did."

They turned toward each other. She forced a smile despite how afraid she was today. "Thank you. For everything today."

Roxas leaned over and pressed his lips against her forehead. The move surprised her. "I'm sorry. I know I'm supposed to wait until we can be together." He smiled toward her. "We'll be more careful not to run into them next time." Afterwards, he turned and started walking away.

Xion watched him until she called him back. She smiled and placed a shell in his hand. "This is to remember the beach today. It was great." He smiled. Afterwards, he waved and headed for home. She smiled and headed inside.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!  
_


	26. The Runaways: Let Yourself Go

_**Author's Notes:** __Thanks for keeping up with the story! For anyone interested in tracking when a new chapter or new story will be posted ahead of time or what I'll be working on next, follow me on my fanfiction twitter link that's on my profile page! I will have plenty of updates!  
_

 ** _Warning + Sort of spoiler alert for this chapter:_** _Things get graphic in this chapter so for anyone who doesn't want to read anything sexual, I've section it off like this: At the beginning I will put "xxx" and at the end you're see a line across the page. I know not everyone wants to read the graphic parts so I've made it a little easier to skip._

 _Hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, Riku, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 25: Let Yourself Go:_

The hallways were crowded with people before classes started in the morning. Xion made her way through the crowds as she searched for the one person she wanted to talk to. Finally, she spotted him standing nearby their classroom door, waiting for her as he usually did. She stood in front of him as she breathed hard. This was one thing she had to get over with. "Hey Xion. What's the rush?"

She stood up straight in front him. Instantly, a sad look came to her face. She wished that she didn't have to do this, but she knew it was the right thing to do. "Riku…"

Riku noticed her concerned look. "What's wrong?"

She looked toward the side as she bit the bottom of her lip lightly. "Well…There's something I have to tell you. I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

He looked curious as to what she was talking about. "Sorry for what?"

She couldn't look at him right away. "Well…It's about…I don't think-." Suddenly, the sound of the bell echoed through the hallways. Xion's eyes widened as she realized that she had run out of time. She turned to him before he could walk inside the classroom. "Can we talk later?"

"Sure," Riku replied. As he walked inside, he wondered what Xion wanted to tell him. From her expression and tone of voice, it sounded serious. Xion looked down. She wanted to set things straight as soon as possible before things got any more complicated. Then, she would be free to be with Roxas.

As the day passed, she couldn't get in enough time to talk to Riku. After school, she had to work inside of the library so she didn't a chance to speak to him then either. After a few hours of working, she stepped out of the doors to go home. When she looked up, she saw a familiar face that made her smile. Roxas leaned against the wall with his arms crossed as he waited for her. He smiled too once he saw her. She walked over to him. "Hey."

By surprise, he placed a kiss on her lips. "Hi."

She felt happy, but sad at the same time. Disappointed, her eyes traveled down. "I didn't get a chance to today. I really tried..."

Roxas looked a little surprised. "To talk to Riku?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry. It's been hard to catch him. I wanted to tell him face to face, but I might have to some other way now."

Roxas smiled to assure her that things would be all right. "Don't worry about it. You will eventually." Xion nodded in agreement. Roxas grabbed her hand and the two walked together. So far, things had worked out between them.

Later that night, Xion sat at her desk with a piece of paper in front of her. She wrote a letter to Riku that she had intended to give to him tomorrow. As she looked down, the feeling of guilty weighed heavily on her for not ending it earlier, but soon she would. She knew how he felt for her and was afraid of hurting his feelings, but she knew it was for the best. She sealed the letter in an envelope and left it on her desk. Afterwards, she climbed into her bed and fell asleep.

The next day, Xion walked into the hallway toward her classroom where Riku waited there for her as usual. Already, she was running late to school that morning. The sound of the bell soon rung throughout the hallway. She gave him a nervous, but sad look. She held the letter out in her hand and he took it. "What's this?"

"Sorry. I meant to get here sooner. I want you to read this." Her eyes lowered. "It's what I wanted to tell you for a while now."

Riku wanted to ask, but then Kairi stepped out of the room and smiled. "Come on you guys. You don't want to stay afterschool, do you?" Riku gave Xion one last glance before he walked inside. Xion looked toward the floor before she walked inside. Riku placed the letter in his book and left it in his desk.

On the next floor, above where Xion and the others were, Larxene leaned back in her chair with her legs on her desk in class. She had her hands behind her head. Axel sat beside her with his head on his hand. Most of the people in the organization sat around them. They watched as the teacher in the class tried to get everyone to quiet down so that he could get started, but every day it had become a hassle. They didn't plan on making it easier any on him. Larxene glanced at Axel out of the corner of her eye as she smirked. "Hey! You wanna come down with me later?"

Axel sighed as he wished she would keep him out her schemes. "Just leave her alone Larxene."

She gave him a sarcastic, sad look. "Awe! Don't tell me you still have a soft spot for the two of them?" Axel shook his head and went back to ignoring her. She looked upset. "Oh come on! You're apart of us. You didn't even help us with that brat and you weren't even there for when we got Roxas. At least come to do this with me." He still didn't answer her. She smirked seductively and placed her hand on his leg. His eyebrow arched which caught her attention. "I'll make it up to you later..." He sighed with his eyes closed as he started to wonder why he got involved with her in the first place. She grinned. "I'll take that as a yes." Axel opened his eyes and stared toward his desk. He didn't want to mess with Xion again. He knew that she had already been through enough. Still, at least he would get to see Roxas again, despite how angry he knew Roxas still was at him. He wanted more than anything to see his friends again…

Later afterschool, Xion walked inside of the hallway. Her eyes were lowered halfway toward the floor as she felt sad. Her hand held onto her bag over her shoulders. She was worried what would happen with Riku, but she knew one thing that would make her smile. She stopped and reached into her bag. She pulled out the shiny blue orb that was given to her. Afterwards, she let out a smile. It made her think of Roxas because he had given it to her. Also, because she was happy with him. It made her believe that everything would be okay. She stuffed it back inside her bag and continued walking, feeling a little better. She headed toward the library when, suddenly, someone bumped into her and knocked her bag off of her shoulder. She looked surprised and snapped out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry." She bent down and tried to pick up her bag, but a foot stepped on it. When she looked up, her eyes widened in surprised. Xion stepped back once she saw who it was.

Larxene smirked at her. Her hands were placed at her sides. Axel stood behind her, nearby. "Hello to you too. It's been a while since we last saw you." She poked Xion in the shoulder. "I see Roxas isn't here to help you this time."

Xion was afraid, but she decided that she would stand her ground. Her fingers tightened into a fist. "Leave me alone Larxene!"

Larxene was surprised that Xion actually spoke back to her after all this time. She could see Xion try to look tough, but in her eyes, she could see her fear. Larxene stood up straight and laughed. "Awe! You're trying to stand up for yourself instead of running away like you usually do." Larxene picked up Xion's bag from off of the ground.

Xion's eyes widened, afraid of what she was going to do with it. "What are you doing?! Give that back!"

Larxene turned the bag over and dumped her stuff onto the floor. Xion's mouth dropped, stunned. Even Axel was surprised at what she did. Larxene looked down confused and noticed the shiny blue stone. "Huh?" She bent down and picked up Xion's orb. "What's this thing?" Xion looked worried. She reached over toward Larxene and tried to get it back, but Larxene held it up in the air. She gave Xion a confused stare as to why she wanted it so badly. She figured it must've been something she couldn't part with. Larxene came up with an idea better than just messing with Xion for now. She clutched the orb in her hand. "You want it?" She pushed Xion away which caused some of the people walking by to stop and stare. Larxene smirked at Xion, but then noticed other people staring at her. She looked around and got upset. "What are you guys looking at?!" she yelled. She scared the crowd and made them walk away.

Xion looked around, but then back at Larxene. "Larxene! Give that back now!"

Larxene opened her hand and looked at it. "What? This piece of crap?" She tightened her hand and smirked down at Xion. "You want it so bad? How about you take it from me?"

Xion stood up, but she would never fight Larxene especially with hidden knives on her. Larxene tossed it up in the air and caught it with her eyes closed. Axel stepped closer. "Larxene just give it back."

Larxene opened her eyes. "Fine. You don't want to fight me for it, then I'll just keep it." Xion was worried as to what she would do with it. "I'll give it back if you come to our gang's hideout and get it from me." Xion's eyes widened which had only made Larxene smile more. "I'll leave it there for now to see if you come get it or I'll give it to you right now if you join the organization again." She laughed which Xion looked down. Larxene tossed it up from her hand one more time before she grabbed it and walked off.

"Larxene!" Axel let out sigh. The woman frustrated him to no end. Uneasy, he looked at Xion. He could see the look of worry on her face. "Don't worry. I'll try to get it back from her." Before he left, he glanced a few times back at Xion. There was a lot he wanted to say, but he kept it inside. Mainly, he wanted to apologize for what happened. He looked toward the side determined. If he could get the necklace back, it would be a start to making amends to both Xion and to Roxas. He followed behind Larxene.

Xion stared toward the floor worried. Then, she leaned down and picked her stuff up. Her sad feeling returned. She didn't know what she was going to do now. She wanted to get the orb back, but she didn't know if she wanted to risk going back to the hideout. She grabbed her bag once she packed it. She was about to head into the library when a familiar voice called out to her. "Xion!" She looked up to see Roxas stand nearby. He noticed the sad look on her face which made him surprised. "Xion? What's wrong?" She rushed toward him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She closed her eyes. Her head rubbed against his chest. "I'm sorry."

He looked down at her confused as to why she was crying. "What happened?"

She calmed down a little. "It's my fault. I couldn't get it back." He held her back which she looked up at him. His hands rubbed her cheeks, clearing them. Then, she closed her eyes. "It was Larxene. She came back and…"

Upset, Roxas's head turned toward the side as he let go of Xion. He knew if Xion had seen Larxene, that she was up to no good. "What did she want this time?"

"She took my orb. The one you gave me after the struggle tournament. She took it and she wanted me to fight her for it, but I refused. Then, she told me to meet her in the organization's hideout and get it there," Xion explained.

Roxas shook his head. "No! It's not worth it! Forget about it! You can't go back there especially with her there. She's probably going to call everyone there so that they could plan something."

She looked up at him. "But what you gave to me was special." She took a minute to think about what she wanted to do. Soon, she looked serious. "I want to try."

His eyes widened. "No! That's crazy."

Her fist baled at her side. "If I don't try, then Larxene will try anything just to get to me. I can't let her make me fall back into that life."

Roxas wished that she wouldn't, but he understood why. He calmed down and wrapped his arms tight around her in a hug. His head tilted toward her neck. "All right. We'll find a way to sneak in there and get back without confronting anyone. I won't let you get hurt again." Xion was worried, but she felt a little better since Roxas would be there with her. The two separated and looked at each other. Roxas grabbed onto her hand. "We won't go today. We'll wait until they least expect it."

* * *

A few days passed before they decided to travel to the organization's hideout. Afterschool, they walked together as they hoped that today would be the time that no one would be there. They walked hand in hand down the dirt road on the other side of town, nervous about what would happen and in silence. When they got close by, they hid behind barrels near the hideout to make sure that no one was there. To their luck, it seemed like no one was. The two were about to stand up when they heard voices nearby. Quickly, they kneeled back down. "Larxene this is ridiculous! Just give it back!" When Roxas and Xion looked, they saw Axel follow behind Larxene.

Larxene frowned toward him as she crossed her arms. "Who's cares about that stupid thing?! I'll give it back when I'm good and ready."

"Then why did you tell Xion she could get back if she joined the organization again?! That would kill her." Roxas looked surprised once he heard what Axel said. When he glanced over, he noticed Xion stare down uneasy.

Larxene turned toward him with a dull glare. "You know. Your soft spot for those two are really annoying… They haven't even shown up to get it back yet."

"I couldn't agree more." When Larxene and Axel looked over, they saw Saix walk in with Marluxia behind him.

Marluxia fluffed his hair aside. "Are you two still arguing over that silly thing Larxene is holding?"

Saix shook his head slightly. "It's pointless. We have bigger problems to deal with. We're wanted for another job." Axel sighed. Saix looked over at Larxene. "If you behave, you can come along too." Nearby, Roxas and Xion hoped that she would leave along with the rest.

Larxene smirked. "Then let's go."

Marluxia sighed. "Let's get this over with."

Larxene frowned at him as everyone headed out. "What do you have better to do?" Larxene stopped for a second as the others walked ahead. She pulled up a wooden board in one of the chairs. She held up Xion's blue orb. "Well…still here. I'm surprised they haven't come back to get it yet." Roxas and Xion waited until the room was quiet and they were sure everyone was gone.

Then, they stood up and walked further into the organization's hideout. It was the same as they remembered it. There was a torn couch with two matching chairs on the sides. It was covered by blankets and a roof was built over. Slowly, Xion's hand slipped out of Roxas's. The two stared forward as they remembered the times they had been there. Most of them were bad. Then, Xion walked over toward the chair and pulled up the same wooden board Larxene did. Roxas looked over at her and then looked behind. "I'll look out. Make sure no one's coming."

Xion looked back and nodded. "Okay." As Xion grabbed the orb, Roxas looked around, thinking about the times Xion and him had been there. Emotions had hit him at once.

Anger.

Sadness.

Regret.

The need for revenge...

Xion placed the wooden board back where it was. "Got it." When she looked back, she noticed Roxas staring out of the door. She could see now what he was thinking about. She stood, worried as she thought back.

Roxas snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at her. Her arms wrapped around her body as she started to shake. Roxas grabbed onto her arm which she looked over. He gave her a serious look. "Don't think about that." She relaxed a little. He turned toward her. "We got it back. Let's not stick around here anymore."

She was surprised by the serious tone of his voice. Then, she looked over at the couch again where she had laid at night when she didn't have a home to go to. "It's been a while…" she whispered.

He looked over toward the couch. He walked over toward it. "You remembered when we use to sleep over here?"

Xion smiled a little and joined him. It wasn't so bad sitting on it again. "Yeah. You stayed here to help keep me warm."

He looked toward the floor as he thought back. "I tried to stay as often I could because I didn't like you staying here by yourself. Still, you were always okay when I came back in the morning." He grabbed her hand. "Well never again."

She smiled. "Never again will you have to worry about me being here by myself."

He leaned in closer toward her face. "I'm still going to worry about you."

She gave him an assured gaze. "Well don't because I'm okay now and I know you'll make sure that I'll be okay."

Roxas smiled a little. Apart of him still wanted the organization to pay for what they did to her. For now, he would focus on her. A smirk came on his face. "Hey."

Before she could say anything, she felt his lips pressed into hers. At first, she was surprised. Suddenly, Xion felt herself slowly moving backwards. Her back pressed against the couch. Surprised, she pushed him back a little. "What are you doing?"

Roxas smiled. "We can make new memories here. That way you don't have to think about the bad ones. We'll show them that they can't scare us."

Xion didn't understand what had gotten into Roxas all of a sudden. For a second, he seemed like a different person. He leaned and kissed her again. His lips soon moved to her neck. Xion closed her eyes tight. She wanted this to stop now and to get out of there as soon as possible. Her hand pressed hard against his chest. "Stop!" He stopped and looked into her eyes as he tried to read what she was thinking. Anxious to leave, she spoke, "Not here." Listening, he stood up from her and held out his hand. Xion looked at him and took his hand to stand up. All of a sudden, they heard a sound on top of the roof. They both looked up surprised. "It's raining…" Xion pointed out. "We'll be soaked by the time we reach home."

Roxas smiled at her. "Why don't we go to my house? It's closer." Xion looked at him curious. "It'll be like old times." After thinking about it, she nodded. Roxas intertwined his fingers with Xion. Together, they took off running outside.

Eventually, the two made it to Roxas's house. Roxas stepped inside first. Everything was dark and quiet. He looked back at Xion. "I don't think anyone has made it back home yet. We have the house to ourselves."

Silently, Xion giggled. "This really is like old times." She followed him toward his room.

She stopped inside as Roxas stayed in the hallway. "I'll grab some towels."

Xion nodded. "Okay." He left from sight. While she stood, she looked around at his room. It really did bring up some past memories. As she stepped out of her thoughts, she felt a shiver throughout her body. She wrapped her arms around her. The cold feeling from the rain had finally caught up with her.

Roxas stepped back inside with towels in hand. "Cold?" Reluctantly, Xion nodded. Roxas looked down at her uniform. "Your clothes are really soaked." He looked down at himself. "So are mine." He glanced toward the water that flooded the window. "It's still really coming down. You can stay here, if you want, until it calms down."

Xion shivered a little. "It's okay. If you have an umbrella, I can just return it to you tomorrow. I don't mind heading back now."

Roxas shook his head a little as he smiled. "I don't want you to get sick. Just stay here and get warm for a little. While you wait, I can dry your clothes. Then, I can walk you home."

Xion smiled to assure him. "You don't have to."

Roxas nudged her with his elbow. "Come on…"

She giggled. "Fine… You win." Roxas smiled. Her eyes traveled toward the side as she thought back. "Once again, you're always looking out for me." Her eyes lowered to a close. "I can never repay you for everything you've done for me."

Then, she felt Roxas's hand on her shoulder as there was a comforting smile on his face. "You don't owe me anything. You've helped me too. Don't forget that." Roxas could see that it wasn't easy to get her mind off of the bad memories. He placed his fingers under her chin and made her head turn to him. He leaned down and kissed her gently on her lips. It helped to take her mind off things for a second. The two began to relax as silence filled the room. His arms wrapped around her waist and her arms went around his neck. He could feel the cold sensation of her wet shirt against his skin. As the two continued to kiss, a different feeling came over him. Slightly, he parted from her. His fingers reached up to the first button of her shirt and began to unbutton one by one.

Curious, she looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think? Helping of course," he replied jokily. His hands parted her shirt, revealing her white bra underneath. Roxas's eyes traveled down from her face to the rest of her body. Apart of him was a little nervous as well. His hands reached over toward her.

Nervousness spread throughout her body. She wasn't sure what ran though his mind at that moment. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her. Her eyes lowered to a close. Soon, he began to unzip her skirt. "Wait..." Roxas moved his hands from her. She stared down. "I can't. I'm sorry."

Roxas smiled a little and rubbed the back of his head as he looked nervous. He thought he must've seemed like a complete jerk to her for not asking. He just wanted to find a way that they both could forget about today. He just wanted to stop being angry at everything. "It's okay. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone ahead without asking. It's just that…" He looked toward the side. "I wanted to help you forget about going back there and I guess…I was being selfish."

She gave him a surprised look. Then, she placed her hand on his shoulder. When he looked up at her, there was a small smile on her face. "It's okay."

"Sorry," he apologized again. Afterwards, he watched as Xion grinned. He loved the way she looked when she was happy. He turned away from her. "I'll grab a shirt for you to wear while you change."

Xion nodded a little nervous and turned her back to him. She removed her shirt from her shoulders and then her skirt, bra, and last, underwear. As she changed, he was tempted to look, but kept forward as he waited. Xion slipped underneath the covers of his bed. "Okay…"

Roxas turned toward her. He could see the nervous smile on her face. He smiled to assure her. "I'll be back." He grabbed her clothes and left out of the room. While things were quiet, she looked around at his room once more. It really did bring up good memories of the nights she would spend there.

A few minutes later, Roxas stepped back inside. He noticed the gentle smile on her face as she stared upwards. In the doorway, she noticed that he stood in just his shorts as he had a shirt over his arm for her. "What are you thinking about?" Once he sat down, he shook his head near her, getting some of the water out of his hair.

Xion laughed a little as she held her hand up toward her face. Then, she glanced toward the bed. "I was just remembering the nights you would sneak me into your room just so I would have a place to sleep at night." Her hand brushed against the covers. "We would spend the night talking and eating junk food or whatever was left over." Roxas sat down in front of her curious. "Even though we were still part of the organization, those were still the best memories."

Roxas reached over and gently placed his hands on top of hers. "I'm glad…" he whispered.

Xion looked curious. "What is it?

Roxas shook his head. "It's nothing…"

She leaned forward with her arms in front of her as she looked anxious to know. "Tell me."

Roxas smiled at her a little. "I liked the times you were here too. When it was just us…" His eyes traveled down. "Then, when you forgot about me, I thought we wouldn't get those times back."

Xion looked down, disappointed. She moved in closer toward him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry… I know that must've hurt..."

Roxas leaned his head on top of hers. "It's okay. You're back now. That's what matters."

Shortly after, silence filled the room. They listened to the rain pouring heavily against the roof. Xion's eyes lowered to a close. The warmth of his skin and the smoothing scent calmed her. "I did always feel safe here."

A few seconds later, she could feel him shift from underneath her. He moved across from her. "Good." His smile made her smile as well. Then he looked down at her a little surprised. A little red came to his cheeks.

She noticed his reaction. "What is it?"

Roxas looked away as he blinked a few times. "Sorry… I didn't mean to look..."

Xion looked surprised, but then looked down at herself. She realized the blankets that she wrapped around her had slipped from around her chest. Quickly, she covered herself as she blushed. Roxas grinned as he closed his eyes. "What's so funny?"

"This isn't the first time I've seen you like this." He scratched the back of his head. "I've seen you before…"

Xion looked down as she thought. "Right…" Then, she pouted upset. "You're the one who walked in on me!"

Roxas laughed. "It was an accident! I promise!"

Xion laughed along with him. As she did, he smiled. It was good to hear her laugh again. His hand squeezed tighter onto hers. He liked this moment they were together. The sound of the rain was calming as things turned silent. Then, his eyes lifted to her face. He thought it wouldn't hurt just to taste her lips once more. He leaned over and captured her lips with his. Instantly, Xion was caught by surprise, but then she closed her eyes. His hand rubbed against the side of her neck. Afterwards, his head moved into the crook her neck. Gently, he began to kiss and pull on her skin. Her eyes lowered to a close as a new sensation flowed through her body. A sigh left from her lips. Soon, he parted from her as he opened his eyes to hers. "Roxas…?" she whispered. Something about the moment seemed right. More, his eyes stared at her with a want and need. The back of his index finger traced down from her collarbone further down her chest. "What are you…?"

The tips of his fingers latched onto the edge of the blanket and pulled it further down. Xion wondered how far he was thinking about going again. Her eyes traveled between his hand back to his eyes. "I don't want to lose this again." He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Lightly, his tongue brushed against her bottom lip. The tip of his finger skimmed down her breast until he grazed the center. A shudder ran across her body as she closed her eyes. The sensation felt strange, but different. After the two parted, he gauged her reaction. Slowly, he removed the blanket from her body and joined her underneath. Before he could continue, her arms rose up and covered her chest. Instantly, he stopped, worried that he gone too far again. "Sorry. I shouldn't have..."

Her eyes traveled down, nervous. "No. It's nothing," she whispered. Her fingers that reached over to cover the scars on her arms as much as she could.

Watching her arms and her expression, he smiled. He was nervous himself to see her like this. "You know… You shouldn't try to hide your scars. They're barely even noticeable. Most of them have faded." He lifted his eyes to her. "No matter how much you hide yourself or the scars… you…" He scooted closer to her and pushed one of her fingers to the side. "You'll always be you and there's no reason to hide that. I think you look fine just the way you are." Gently, he pressed his lips against her scar. She was surprised, but touched by how much he cared for her.

Relaxed, her arms loosened from her chest. He continued to place kisses on her arm. Afterwards, he lifted her head and leaned forward. Xion leaned back and met him back in a deep kiss. Her arms rested on his shoulders and soon rubbed her hands down to his chest. He began to suck seductively on her bottom lip. His tongue slipped into her mouth. Gently, her tongue followed and playfully rubbed against his. The two turned on their side as their heated exchange continued. Red flooded her cheeks as she got lost more with him. Minutes later, they parted from each other as they breathed heavily. His fingers brushed against her arm and further along her hips. Nervous, she looked up at him which he noticed. As he grazed her leg, he searched her eyes for approval to go further. She debated that if they gone far enough, would she with him? Then, she thought about them and everything that Roxas had done for her. She cared about him more than he knew. She turned her head toward the window as she watched the rain fall. "It's really coming down."

"You can stay longer…if you want." Her eyes met his. "It will be just the two of us for a while." He pulled her closer to him. "Just say the word. We don't have to go far." After a few moments, he leaned in toward her neck and kissed her skin.

XXX

Soon, Xion sighed with her eyes closed. "Hm." Her lips parted. Her body started to enjoy what his lips were doing, taking her out of thoughts. His hand rubbed against the side of her stomach up to her chest. His hands squeezed her soft breasts. There was a blush throughout her cheeks. His fingers moved toward the sensitive tips which made her moan out in pleasure. He moved over her as her back pressed against the bed. His lips moved over her body and placed tender kisses upon her chest and on top of her breasts. His tongue relieved one of his hands. "A-Ah…" The sensation brought pleasure to her whole body. His head rose and connected with her lips again, kissing her intensely. He grabbed her hands and moved them on the pillows near her head. He caressed them with his thumb before his fingers slipped down between her legs. His finger began stroking her untouched, sensitive flesh. Her body jumped as she felt the overwhelming pleasure, like a shockwave, throughout her body. He could hear her moans mumbled through their lips. Furiously, she kissed him. Their tongues danced along each other. More, her body started to lose control. His lips moved toward the side of neck. He wanted to hear the sweet sound of her voice. Her lips parted wide as she cried out. Her arms wrapped around his back. The nails of her fingers dug deep into his skin. He could feel her legs tightening at his waist. Within minutes, he could his fingers getting moist. Juices overflowed from between her legs.

Before she could release, he removed his hand from her. She opened her eyes to his as she panted. Her mind was clouded as she could only focus on her insides throbbing. More than anything, her body wanted him to continue. Anxious, he reached down and removed his shorts and boxers. Her body laid exposed as he sat back from her. His eyes traveled along her delicate curves, exploring every inch he could of her body. He wanted to have her completely. He needed to have her. He leaned over her and whispered her name into her ear. Her eyes stared up into his. She could see his look of want. Finally, she answered his question with a nod. She sat up slightly and pressed her lips to his neck down toward his chest. She reached down toward his hips. Her hand wrapped around his member and stroked him. As he closed his eyes, he breathed out. He placed his hand on top of her and moved closer toward her entrance.

For a moment, things were quiet. Near her right, she could hear the sound of the rain against the window. To her left, outside of the room, she could the sounds of their clothes rolling loud in the dryer. It distracted her through the pain. Her eyes watered as she closed them tight. It took some getting used to as he thrusted himself inside of her. She grabbed onto his arms for support. Slowly, her became mixed with pleasure. A moan escaped from her lips. His mind faded into the background. He could only listen to her moans and cries from what he had made her feel. Her hands grabbed onto the back of his pillow, digging deeply into the fabric. "Ro…Roxas." she called out. His hands lifted her hips as he moved faster. He pressed inside of her harder. Her body began to shake as she was about to reach her end. Her insides tightened around him. She moaned louder as her eyes closed tight.

"Xion…" he whispered. He could feel his body on the edge of release. Soon, her body slowed to a stop as she released onto him. He followed after a few more thrusts. The two breathed hard. He let go of her hips and moved alongside her. After her body relaxed, she looked over to see Roxas lying on his side, staring back at her. He calmed down somewhat. "Xion..." She scooted over and turned on her side to face him. His arms wrapped around her. Both of them had closed their eyes. Eventually, they fell asleep.

* * *

Later, Xion woke up to see Roxas still sleeping beside her. She sat up as she pressed the covers closed to her body. She stared over at him, a little worried. What they experience happened so quick. She wondered if they had gone too far too soon. Whether it was too soon for them or not, what they done was already done. She turned her head toward the window. The day had already turned dark and the rain had stopped. Then, she looked over to see what time it was. By now, she knew that she should go home. She was about to climb out of bed when she felt a hand grab her arm. She looked over surprised. Roxas had a tired look in his eyes that were partly open. "Don't go," he whispered. "Stay tonight. Please?"

Xion looked down as she debated whether or not she should. She stared into his eyes until she had given into him. She laid back on her side and scooted closer to him. She decided to stay the night with him. Maybe no one would notice that she hadn't come home that night. She closed her eyes again and fell asleep in his arms.

As the night continued, Xion's nightmare returned of the night when she ended up in the hospital. She could still feel the way her body felt when she laid against the ground for dead. Outside of her dream, she cried out loud. Her body twisted and turned in her sleep as an arm wrapped around her body for comfort. She continued to cry out. "Xion!" Roxas held onto her tightly. She turned her body toward him, finally accepting the embrace of his arms. She cried for a few more minutes before she calmed down. Then, she grew silent. For a while, she reacted the same way to her nightmares. She was glad that Roxas was there for her. He had been able to calm her down faster than her adopted mother could. Afterwards, she drifted off to sleep as her head leaned on his chest. Roxas held onto her for a few minutes longer. His head leaned on top of hers. He couldn't stand that she was still having the same nightmares. Afterwards, he laid down with her and hoped that the same thing wouldn't happen again. For the rest of the night, Xion had been able to sleep peaceful.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update!_


	27. The Runaways: Life Has To Go On

_**Author's Notes:**_ __Thanks for keeping up with the story! For anyone interested in tracking when a new chapter or new story will be posted ahead of time or what I'll be working on next, follow me on my fanfiction twitter link that's on my profile page! I will have plenty of updates!_ Thank you for keeping up with the story! _

_**Warning:** This chapter does have adult themes and gets a little dark... _

* * *

_The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, Riku, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 26: Life Has To Go On:_

As morning light glowed through the windows, slowly, Xion's body rose up from her bed. Her eyes lowered to a close as she placed her hand to her head. Even with sleep, she still exhausted. What surprised her most was that she felt dizzy. Still, she pushed herself to get up from her bed. As she headed to her bathroom, her body felt heavy. Inside, she leaned against the counter with her eyes closed. Already, she felt sick to her stomach. She placed one hand near her mouth and leaned over the sink just in case, but nothing came. Once she felt a little relaxed, she opened her eyes partly. The past few days, she had been getting worse. For now, she would have to ignore it since she had to go to school. Once she got ready, she headed downstairs. In the kitchen, Kairi sat at the table as she ate breakfast. Kairi smiled at her. "Morning Xion. You wanna eat with me?" Xion stepped over near where the food was. She took one glance at it before she quickly stepped away. A surprised look came on Kairi's face. "What's wrong?"

Xion shook her head and headed toward the door. She wasn't feeling hungry much. The smell started to get to her nose and make her queasy. Nervously, she smiled. "It's okay. I'm going to head to school." She waved before she walked off. Kairi stood up out of her chair. She wanted to check on her, but she was too late. She sat back down with her eyes lowered. She began to get more worried about the way Xion was acting…

At school, Xion sat at her desk as her eyes stared toward the floor. Her stomach changed from nauseous back to hungry. She closed her eyes as she sighed. Her head leaned on her hand. She was still feeling kind of dizzy. She had no idea what was wrong with her. Kairi walked over to her and smiled. "Hey Xion." Xion looked up at her surprised. "I was wondering if you would be my lab partner for today?"

Xion wasn't sure what was going on since she stopped listening in class. She smiled toward Kairi. "Sure." The two sat together as they got ready to work on their assignment. Xion grabbed onto her stomach as she started to feel nauseous again.

Kairi noticed and got concerned. "Xion?" Her eyes lowered and saw her hand on her stomach. "Are you okay?"

Xion tried her best to smile at Kairi. "Yeah."

Kairi thought about calling the teacher over, but waited to see if Xion would get any better. Instead, Xion started to feel dizzy again. Her eyes lowered as she felt as if she was about to pass out. "Xion?!" Kairi called again. She placed her hands on her shoulders. Her concern escalated. Xion pressed harder onto her stomach as her other hand covered her mouth. The smells around her were making her stomach worse. Quickly, Kairi raised her hand to get the teacher's attention. "Excuse me!" The teacher walked over. "Please! I think that she's really sick. Is it okay if I help her?"

The teacher took a look at Xion. It didn't seem like she was faking nor did she believe that they were up to something. Finally, the teacher nodded. Kairi and Xion left from the room and headed toward the bathroom. Xion rushed toward the sink. Kairi stood nearby as she heard the sounds echo from her. Kairi walked over worried and held her hair back from her face. Xion started coughing. Her sight started to blur a little and her body was exhausted. Her breathing stayed heavy for a few minutes. She leaned against the counter for support. Kairi placed her hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay now?"

"Yeah," Xion whispered. She felt a little better, but not completely.

"Do you think you're coming down with something?" Kairi asked, curiously.

Xion shook her head as she stood up straight. She turned to Kairi and smiled. "Don't worry…I'm okay now." Suddenly, the strength from her body had given out.

Kairi caught her just in time before she could hit the ground. Both of them sat on their knees on the floor. "Xion! Xion!" Xion let out a groan. Neither of them understood what was going on. Kairi looked back toward the door. She helped Xion to her feet and placed her arm around her shoulders. "Come on. We're going to see the nurse." Later, Xion woke up in the nurse's office, still exhausted. When she looked over, she saw Kairi hover above her with a concerned look on her face. "Xion." Kairi smiled a little for comfort. "You almost scared me back there."

Xion sat up and looked down. "I'm sorry…"

The nurse walked in after. "Good. You're awake. I told Kairi that it was okay for you to go home. I checked to see if you were getting sick, but your temperature seems fine. How long have you been sick like this?"

"A few days now," Xion answered.

The nurse looked a little concerned. "If this continues, you should go see a doctor. It could be serious."

Xion nodded. "I will." The nurse smiled and left Kairi and Xion alone.

Concerned, Kairi turned her attention back to Xion. "I thought you seemed sick lately. How come you didn't tell anyone that you were feeling this bad?"

Xion still didn't understand what was going on. Even the nurse didn't have an answer. "I thought it would go away."

Kairi smiled, hopeful. "Well... I just hope that you get better." Xion responded with a smile as well.

The next day, Xion was brought to the hospital by her adoptive mother. Her stomach still hadn't gotten better since yesterday. Xion stepped out of the car and looked back at her mother. Her mother smiled, apologetic. "Sorry that I can't go with you this time."

Xion smiled to assure her. "It's okay. I'll be fine on my own."

"Don't worry. I'll be back to pick you up." Xion nodded. She closed the car door and headed toward the hospital as her mother drove away. Afterwards, Xion walked inside.

Minutes later, she was sent back and met with a woman with a chart in her hand. Gently, she smiled at Xion and greeted her before she asked if she had any idea of why she was sick. Xion shook her head and replied with no. The doctor started by asking her a few basic questions after she checked to see if she had a fever. Once she got to more personal questions, Xion became nervous, but answered them all honestly. In the end, the doctor gave her a serious look. Her suspicions rose. She tested Xion and walked out of the room a few minutes later. Xion waited patiently in the examination room until the doctor came back again. There was a concerned look on her face. She sat down in front of Xion with a chart in her hand and looked over at her. "I have the results back from the test..." Xion became anxious since the doctor didn't sound happy. The doctor looked toward the ground before she lifted her head to Xion. She spent a few minutes talking to her. Once she told her the result, Xion was shocked. She couldn't believe it herself. Afterwards, the doctor stood up. "Do you need me to call your parents to pick you up?"

Xion looked up at the doctor with worry in her eyes. "N-No. I'll just walk home. Doctor…?" Xion looked down, worried still at what she might say. "Do my parents have to know about this?"

The doctor sighed with her eyes closed. "We do have a patient doctor confidentiality agreement, but something like this, you can't hide for long. Still, remember what I said to you." Xion stared toward the floor, saddened. The doctor stared at her concerned, but then walked out of the room. Xion waited a little longer before she stood up and walked out of the room.

After Xion left the hospital, she walked along the road alone as she looked down. She placed her hand on her stomach. She still couldn't believe it. Her mind traveled back to that night that had led things up to this day. Xion clutched onto her stomach as she closed her eyes tight. Minutes later, Xion returned back home and laid on her bed. Her hand pressed against her stomach once more. After she remembered the news the doctor told her, Xion closed her eyes tight. Tears fell from her eyes as she wondered why she got caught in this. How could she let anyone know? She didn't know how her adopted parents would react. She had just gotten them and now, if they found out, she might lose them again. After a few minutes, Xion calmed down and began to weigh her options. She turned over on her back as she stared up at the ceiling. Her hand rubbed against her stomach. She had to accept the fact that she was pregnant...

Xion wasn't sure what to think or how she could handle this. She was only fifteen years old and the father wasn't much older than her. Roxas was only a few months older and was soon enough about to turn sixteen. She thought back to that night when they were alone together in Roxas's room and about everything she felt that night when she was with him. There was no question on how it happened, but somehow it did. She felt as if she made the mistake of not stopping him when she told herself she should have. Then, she thought of Roxas and what he would think if he knew. Would he accept it, care for her, and take responsible, or would he leave her because of it? Since she was the one who had to deal with carrying it, it made it easier for him to say no if he wanted. Her mind switched over to what the doctor had told her. Before she could think about anything, she had to take some things into consideration. She was two months along and had time to think of what she could do with it.

Her first option was that she could get rid of it. She turned on her side. The thought of killing someone scared her. She thought about on her own past and how she had almost died. That was one thing she couldn't do.

Her second option was to put it up for adoption. She knew what it was like to be alone, but then adopted. It wasn't so bad. Still, if her new family found out, would she end up being alone again? Would they disown her? She knew the family she was adopted into was a proud one. With the baby gone, she would be alone again.

Then, there was here third option: to keep it. She turned on her other side. She didn't consider the option fully before. She had to think if she would be able to take care of it on her own. Would she be a good mother? Her eyes lowered. She knew if she kept the baby, she would never be alone again. Still, how would she help them to survive? She pressed onto her stomach as her knees slid closer toward her chest. The thought scared her of not being able to take care of her own child.

As she thought about her decision, her hand rubbed against her stomach. A few minutes passed when she stopped. She closed her eyes as she smiled. She didn't know exactly what she was going to do, but she knew one thing. She didn't want to part with her own child because she knew, out of anything, that she would love them and that they would love her back in return if no one else did. Xion drifted off asleep and remained that way through the rest of the night. The next morning, Xion stayed in bed and decided to miss school. Her parents allowed her to stay home since she was still feeling sick. As she laid awake in her bed, she kept her hand to her stomach. She would figure out what to do soon, but for now, she would enjoy the time she had with her unborn one.

* * *

Another month had passed. Xion walked the school hallway alone as she did every morning now. Since she found out the news about the baby, she distant herself. She believed that all she needed now with her was her child. The person she would talk to the most was Kairi. Kairi still had her concerns about her. Whenever she would ask, Xion would assure her that she was fine. Xion still chose to hide how she felt and her secret. Sometimes, Kairi would deliver notes to her that were sent by Roxas. Xion read his notes, but didn't respond back to them. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face him yet, especially when she kept her secret from him. During the mornings, Xion would smile, pretend as if nothing was wrong, and pretend as if she wasn't hiding anything or that she wasn't feeling sick sometimes. Over the past month, her stomach became better, but not completely. Sometimes, she had to excuse herself from class whenever she did feel sick.

In class, Xion sat in her chair and listened like the rest of the class. As she did, her stomach began to bother her, but this time for hunger. She was tempted to reach into her bag to pull out her lunch, but wanted to try and wait until lunch time started. After some time, she couldn't take it anymore. She reached down into her bag and started to sneak pieces of her food into her mouth, hoping that no one would notice. Kairi, who sat nearby, looked back to see Xion eating. Kairi's eyes widened in surprised. "Xion?" she whispered loudly. "What are you doing?" Xion looked surprised. Her eyes widened a little bit. Kairi leaned over off of her desk a little. "You're not going to have anything to eat later." Xion smiled nervously as she kept chewing. She reached into her bag again and pulled out another piece of food for her to eat. Kairi sighed with her eyes closed and turned her head back forward.

When the class was dismissed for lunch, Xion stepped outside into the hallway still hungry. She looked to one side of the hall as she tried to figure out what she should do. "Xion." Xion looked over surprised to see the familiar face that called her. Once she saw who it was, she stood stunned. He stood with his hands in his pockets with an uneasy stare. Xion held her hands in front of her, nervous. She wanted to look away, but kept her eyes on his. "Hey! I was wondering if your class is out all ready… that you would want to eat lunch with me?" he asked softly.

Xion smiled a little. She hadn't spoken with him for a while. "Sure…Roxas." The two walked down the hall in silence. The two exchanged glances back and forth at each other nervously since they haven't spoken in a while. As they walked away, Riku stepped outside of the classroom to talk with Xion, but he could see now that she had walked off with Roxas. Something still felt off about the two of them. He had no idea what was going on, but he would find out soon.

Outside, Roxas sat under a tree and pulled out his lunch. Xion sat down beside him. Both of them were covered by the shade. Her eyes couldn't help but be drawn to his food. Roxas looked over and noticed that she didn't bring anything with her. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Xion gave him a nervous look. "I kind of…ate it through class today." She laughed a little.

Roxas looked surprised. He held out his sandwich. "You want a piece of mine?"

Xion shook her head a little. "It's yours. I couldn't-."

Roxas smiled a little. "It's okay."

She took his sandwich and took a bit out of it. Then, a nervous look came on her face. "Um…?"

Roxas looked surprised. "What?" Xion's stomach started to turn for the first time today. She knew that something on it must've set off her stomach. She handed his sandwich back to him and rushed over to the nearest bushes. Roxas leaned over and looked back to see what was going on. He could hear the sounds of her throwing up. Instantly, he got concerned. He clutched his teeth as he wondered if he should help, but his body wouldn't move after hearing the sounds. Xion stayed a few seconds later to make sure that she was done. She wiped her mouth and turned around. She saw that Roxas was staring at her so she smiled to show that she was okay. She walked back over. Roxas gave her a surprised look. He wanted to make sure that she was all right. "Are you okay?"

Xion bent down in front of him, still smiling. "Yeah. Of course," she assured him. Afterwards, she sat down beside him.

Roxas stared at her as he wondered what was going on. "So…? Have you been getting the notes I've been sending through Kairi?"

Xion looked down at her fingers as they fiddled in her lap. She felt bad for avoiding him. "Yes. I'm sorry for not answering back."

Roxas became concerned. "I tried to call. Lately, you haven't spoken to me. I was wondering if… I did something wrong."

Xion didn't want him to blame himself for anything. "No. You didn't. I just…needed some time alone that's all."

"I've been thinking a lot. That's why I wanted to talk to you." He paused for a moment before he spoke. "I wanted to say that I'm-." Suddenly, they heard the bell echo from the inside of the school. It was already time for them to go inside. Roxas turned his head back to Xion. "Is it okay if we talk later after school?"

Xion nodded. "Okay." They got up and headed toward the school.

Later that afternoon, Xion headed to the library afterschool as usual. After a few hours inside, she walked out. When she did, she saw Roxas waiting for her in the hall. He smiled a little. "You ready?" Xion nodded in response. Together, they walked in the hall and headed toward the stairs. Suddenly, Roxas grabbed onto her arm and stopped her before they could walk down. He couldn't wait much longer to say what he had to. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry." Xion was curious as to what he was apologizing for. Roxas let go of her hand as his eyes lowered to the floor. "I know why you're mad at me." Xion gave him a surprised look. "It's because of that night, isn't it? The night where we…" He went over and over in his head the reason why she wouldn't speak to him. The only explanation that popped into his mind was that night. "I wondered if I rushed things. If you weren't ready. I know it's too late, but I wanted to ask you now if that night… if you were ready?" Xion's eyes lowered as she debated about what she should say. Her silence had given him the answer he needed. Inside, he felt at his lowest. "I see... So it was my fault." The last thing Xion wanted him to do was feel bad. Before she could say anything, Roxas continued, "After we left the hideout, I felt so angry, thinking about what the organization did, and I brought you back there where you remembered everything bad that happened. I just wanted to forget it all too so… I used you to do it. I don't know why I did it. I hope that you can forgive me."

Xion could see how guilty he felt. She was never mad at him for anything. She stepped in closer to him and placed her hands in front of her. She gave a smile of comfort. "You know. It wasn't just you." She thought back to that night. "You're right. I wasn't ready. I wanted to stop you, but I gave in, just the same as you did and I don't regret that. I see it like this. I rather be with you than anyone else so I figured it would've happened between us eventually, so don't feel bad." Xion shook her head. "I don't blame you for anything."

Roxas was relieved to hear that, but still didn't understand. "So? If you weren't mad at me for that, then why have you been staying away from me?"

Xion wondered if she should tell him the truth, but still wasn't sure if she should. She had no idea how he would react. "Well…" She placed her hand on her stomach, but then quickly moved it to her other arm so that he wouldn't get suspicious.

Roxas stepped closer. He noticed and looked at her stomach. "Kairi said you gain a little weight. Did you get to eat anymore today?"

Xion nodded. "Yeah." She figured that he must've noticed as well since she wore a bigger shirt.

Roxas grabbed onto her hand. "I want you to know that I sent all of those notes and I've been trying to see you because I still care about you a lot. I just want to make sure you're okay."

Xion stared up at him as she wondered. She still cared about him enough not to let him go completely and knew she would always think about him for one reason in particular. The child she carried was partly his so she would see him in them. She thought of just her and the baby together, but started to change her mind about letting him in. "Can I ask you a question?"

Roxas nodded as he smiled. He held his hands in hers. "Yeah. What is it?" Xion stared into his eyes with longing. She had to know what his answer would be. "If I asked you to run away with me, would you?"

Roxas was a little taken aback by her question, which she noticed his reaction. "Why?"

Xion looked down, thinking now that it was a silly question. "Never mind."

Roxas grabbed onto her hands tighter. "No. I want to know what you meant by that."

Her eyes shifted from side to side as she tried to figure out another way to ask. "If I were to… ever think about leaving and I…didn't want to leave you behind because…I care about you too…If I asked you to go with me, would you go…?" She closed her eyes as she thought that he would say it was a silly idea or that he would say no.

"Yes."

Stunned by his answer, her eyes opened. When she looked up, she saw a serious look on Roxas's face. She didn't know what to say, but she couldn't help but smile gently. It was then she decided that she would tell him the truth. She took a step back as she closed her eyes. "Then there's something you should know." Roxas waited for her to speak. It sounded serious. "Roxas... That night between us…changed a lot of things. I wasn't sure if I should tell you at first, because of how you might react, but I know…you have a right to know too. Then you can decide if you want to stay with me or not." Confusion became written on his face. Xion took his hand and pressed it against her stomach. "Roxas…I…I wanted to tell you that…" Roxas stared at her stomach as he tried to figure out what she tried to tell him. She was afraid to tell him, but knew she had to. "The truth is…I'm-."

"Xion!" Xion turned her head surprised to see Riku come up the stairs toward them, upset. He searched for her once she left the library. Roxas stepped in front of Xion as he frowned. Riku stood in front of him. "Are you bothering her again?"

Roxas glared at him. "What are you want?"

Riku stepped closer. "Every time I look for Xion, it seems that you're always trying to get her alone."

Roxas pointed toward himself. "I'm allowed to! She is with me."

"No you're not! Just leave her alone!" Riku argued.

Xion stepped out from behind Roxas and went to Riku. She didn't want an argument to break out between them. "Didn't you read the note that I gave to you a while ago?"

Riku looked a little confused. "What?"

By the look on his face, it didn't seem like he read it. She became concerned. "I-."

Roxas stepped closer. "She's not with you anymore."

Riku looked upset and grabbed onto Xion's hand. He made her stand behind him closer toward the stairwell. "Stay away from her!" Riku warned. Roxas tried to walk pass him to get Xion out of there, but Riku pushed him back.

Worried that they would get into a fight, Xion got between them. "Both of you stop it!"

Riku pulled her aside so that she wouldn't get hurt. "Stay back." Then, he grabbed Roxas by his shirt. "I told you to stay away from her."

Roxas grabbed his hand as he struggled to pull it away. "And I told you she wants nothing to do with you!"

Xion pulled onto Riku's arm to get him to let Roxas go. "Riku! Stop it!" She tried to pull him away still, but he wouldn't budge. Then, Riku held his arm aside to block her way so that she wouldn't get hurt.

Frustrated, Xion pushed them apart and stepped near the edge of the stairs. The situation became too stressful for her to handle. Her fists baled at her side as she closed her eyes tight. "JUST STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU! PLEASE I-!"

Unaware of how close she was to the edge, Xion's foot stepped back and slipped on the edge of the stairs. Her eyes widened as she could feel her body fall. Roxas looked over to see her body head toward the stairs. He pushed Riku out of the way and tried to reach for her. "Xion!" It was too late. Xion tried to find some way to stop before she could the floor hit with her hands. The front of her body fell forward against the staircase and caused pain to course through her. She closed her eyes tight as she cried out. Roxas's eyes widened, scared for the worse. "Xion!" He kneeled beside her to check on her. He was careful not to shake her. "Xion?! What's wrong?" It seemed like she was in a lot of pain as she clutched her stomach tight. When he traced along her body toward her legs, his eyes widened in surprised. Blood leaked from her body as she laid on the floor.

"Xion!" Riku quickly kneeled beside her to check on her. "She needs help!"

Riku tried to pick her up, but Roxas pushed him away. "Get away from her!" Roxas was more scared for her than angry at Riku. Roxas pulled out his phone and called for help. The ambulance came and took her to the hospital. Neither Roxas or Riku were allow to ride with her. Roxas went to the hospital to wait for news if she was okay. He waited along with Sora who waited to hear news about Xion from Kairi. Roxas paced around as he waited.

Sora gave him a concerned look. "Don't worry. I'm sure she'll be okay." Roxas still couldn't help but worry. After some time, Kairi stepped out toward them. Both of them looked anxious. "How's Xion?"

"Is she okay?!" Roxas asked, anxious.

Kairi looked concerned. "She was sleeping when she came in and the doctor's waiting for her to wake up so that she could tell her the news."

"Which room is she in?!" After Kairi told him, Roxas took off.

Sora got up and stood beside Kairi. "I wonder what's wrong with Xion…" Then, he heard a whimper from nearby. Surprised, Sora looked over at her. "What is it?" She seemed as if she was about to cry. He jumped as he looked worried. "Hey! Xion is going to be all right. She just fell."

Kairi shook her head as her hands covered her eyes. "It's not just that. I should've seen it… what's been wrong with her lately…"

Sora tilted his head. Then, he straightened back up. "You know something else, don't you?"

She turned and leaned her head against his chest as she closed her eyes. "This whole time…I didn't see it even when it was right in front of my face." He wrapped his arms around her for comfort. Even though he was confused about what was going on, he would be there.

As he walked through the hall, all Roxas could hope was that she was okay. Xion's life could be in danger and he didn't protect her like he promised. When he looked up, he saw Riku head toward Xion's room. Roxas looked down as he hoped to see her first and to avoid him again. He was still upset at what he did. He tried to head for her room, but Riku stepped in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

Roxas glared over as he walked pass. "I came here to see if Xion was okay."

Riku grabbed his arm. "Just stay away from her."

Roxas snatched his arm away. "She's not with you anymore so just go!" Roxas tried to walk pass Riku, but Riku pushed him back. Roxas growled. "Stay out of my way!" Roxas pushed Riku aside and headed toward Xion's room.

Inside, Xion was in a hospital bed. She moaned as she woke up and looked around. "…Where am I?"

The doctor who had examine her months ago stood nearby. Xion had a concerned look on her face. It was then she realized where she was. The doctor stepped toward her. "How are you feeling Xion?"

Xion closed her eyes as she struggled to sit up for a little. She was still in a little bit of pain. "I'm okay."

"That's good to hear." She signaled for the nurses to step away while she talked to Xion alone. The concerned look on the doctor's face grew. "Your fall has caused something to happen." At her words, Xion started to get worried.

Outside, Riku tried to stop Roxas from entering the room, but Roxas pushed back and slipped passed him. When they entered in the room, Roxas smiled once he saw that Xion was awake. "Xion," he said relieved. Then, the smile disappeared from Roxas's face once he noticed that she was crying.

The doctor looked sad. "I'm sorry…"

Xion shook her head a little as she closed her eyes tight with her arms wrapped around her. "No... No I couldn't have..." Roxas and Riku were worried and wondered what could've had her this upset. She continued to let the tears run from her eyes. "I couldn't have... I couldn't have lost my baby..." her voice faded out into a whisper.

The words she spoke made them froze. Roxas's and Riku's eyes widened shocked as they took in the news. "Xion..." Roxas reached out his hand. He wanted to rush to her side to help comfort her, but Riku grabbed his shoulder upset. Riku grabbed Roxas by his shirt and slammed him against the wall. Roxas closed his eyes tight from the pain he felt in his back.

Riku gave him an angry glare. "You! You did this to her!"

The doctor looked back surprised to see what was going on. The nurses came over and pulled them apart. They made Roxas and Riku leave the room and put them out into the hall. One of them gave the boys a stern glare. "If you want to visit the patient, then do so one at a time without fighting."

Roxas watched as the nurses walked away. When he turned his head, a fist had met his face. Roxas fell back to the floor. He pressed his hand against his cheek as he felt a little pain. Riku glared at him from above. "You slept with her?!" He grabbed his shirt and baled his fist. "You took advantage of her! You got her…" His fist baled as he shook uncontrollably. He couldn't bring himself to say it.

The nurse who warned them before rushed over again. "Stop it or I'll have security escort you out! I told you if you want to visit the patient, then come back next visiting hours." She glared at both of them. "I suggest you both come separately." Still fuming with anger, Riku turned and decided to leave. Roxas stood up from the ground as he looked down. He wondered what he had done. His eyes looked back toward the room before he decided to leave.

The next day, Roxas returned back to the hospital with a bouquet of flowers in his hand for Xion. He stepped inside of her room, but saw that her adopted parents, Kairi, and Namine were already there to see her. Xion seemed better now than she was yesterday. A smile was on her face that mirrored her family's. Roxas decided to leave her alone. He walked out of the room and headed pass the nurses' station. The nurse looked surprised because she had seen him walk into the room, but quickly left. "Hey!" Roxas stopped and look back at her. "Leaving so soon? You just got here."

Roxas handed the woman the flowers in his hand. "Could you give these to the girl in that room?"

The nurse looked surprised. "Don't you want to give them to her yourself?" Roxas closed his eyes as he shook his head. He walked further down the hall. The nurse leaned out of her chair as she tried to catch him before he left. "Wait! Who should I say sent them?!" Roxas didn't respond and left.

Later, Xion lied in her bed alone. Her family left some time ago and by tomorrow, she could go home. The hospital wanted to keep her for observation. Though she smiled in front of her family as if nothing was wrong, inside she was hurting over her loss. Her hand rubbed against her stomach, devastated. Once again, she felt alone. Now that the baby was gone, she didn't have to worry anymore about what her family would do if they found out and if they would help her. As she stared forward, Riku stepped into the room to see how she was doing. He could see that she was still miserable. "Xion?" Slowly, Xion turned her head toward him. She was surprised that he came by to see her though she didn't show it. Riku stepped in closer beside her. "Are you okay?" Xion turned her head from him. She didn't answer. Riku's eyes lowered. "You…you were with him, weren't you?" He was hurt by what happened, knowing that she had been with Roxas.

Xion looked down. "…Yes."

Riku couldn't look at her right away as he knew what his next question would be. "You were…having a baby. So that means that that baby was…"

Xion's head remained turned away from his. She knew what he wanted her to say. "Yes... The baby was his…" Riku sighed with his eyes closed. Her arm rested on her stomach as she got ready to explain. "I thought you knew. I didn't get a chance to talk to you so I wrote to you in a note how I felt and that…" She looked down. "…that I didn't think we should be together anymore. I didn't feel the same way about you that you did about me."

He sat down in the chair beside her bed as he looked concerned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She thought about the conversation she had with Roxas. "I realized…that I was just using you to help me escape from my past." Inside, she felt bad for saying that, but she wanted to be honest with him. "Something bad happened to me in my past that was…really painful and you helped me to forget about it, but it was wrong of me to be with you because of that."

"So… is he a part of your past too?" He suspected as much, but wanted her to confirm it.

Xion knew that he was referring to Roxas, but he didn't want to refer to him by name. She smiled a little. "Yeah. He was a really good friend of mine. He helped me out a lot." Her eyes lowered toward her hand. "He was the only good thing about my past."

Riku looked serious. "Do you care about him?"

Her head leaned back against her pillow. "Yeah..." she whispered.

"Maybe you shouldn't." Xion looked over at Riku surprised as she wondered why he would say that. A serious look came on his face. "Look at what he's done to you! You wouldn't have to cry because of him. Listen. I'm sorry that…you lost your baby, but…he should've been more responsible. He shouldn't have made you go through that." Xion looked down. "I don't want you to get hurt by him again. Maybe it's better if you stay away from him." Xion didn't want to listen to him, but at this point, she didn't know what to do. All she could think about was what she had lost. She didn't want to get hurt again. She started to believe that she should have listened to herself and leave her past behind. All of it...

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 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	28. The Runaways: I Won't Let You Go!

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story! Sorry about the late update! __**Warning:** This chapter does get dark so please, please read with caution... _

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_The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, Riku, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 27: I Won't Let You Go!:_

In the morning, before class was ready to begin, Xion walked silently behind Riku as she stared toward the floor. Days had passed since she had been let out of the hospital. Xion still mourned her loss, but kept the pain to herself. Further along the hall, Roxas rushed forward in hopes of catching up with Xion before she headed into her first class. Roxas got close to her classroom when he stopped. Ahead, he saw Riku walk ahead of Xion. Roxas noticed the look of sadness on her face. Riku turned around to her and smiled. He said a few things, which made a small smile come out of Xion, before they walked inside. As Roxas watched, he felt left out of her life once again. He hadn't been able to talk to her since her accident and when he did see her, she was always with Riku. Roxas knew if he tried to confront both of them, he would end up in another fight with Riku. He didn't want to do that in front of Xion. It would only stress her out more. He knew he had to find to way to get to her. He wouldn't give up until he could talk to her one more time...

As the day continued, Xion sat in class. She stared down as she thought about everything that happened. The sad expression on her face wouldn't go away. Kairi looked back and tried to get Xion to smile with a smile of her own, but Xion wouldn't look over. At lunch, she sat alone as she didn't want to talk to anyone. After school, she worked at the library as usual. She remained quiet for a few hours. No one had bothered her.

After her day was done, Xion stepped out into the hallway. The only thing left for her to do now was to go home. "Xion!" Xion turned her head to see only Roxas stand on the other side of the hallway. He was glad that he caught her. Xion's eyes lowered. She turned and walked away from him. Roxas didn't want to lose her again. Not after days of trying to catch up with her. He ran after her. He wanted to grab her hand, but instead, his arms wrapped around her in a firm embrace. Her back pressed against the front of his body. He closed his eyes tight. He didn't want to let her go. He didn't want her to hurt again. He just wanted to be there for her. "I'm sorry!" His head leaned against her shoulder. He buried his head inside the crook of her neck. "I'm sorry…" Xion closed her eyes. She didn't try to get out of his grip. She wasn't going to run away. Roxas opened his eyes a little. "I'd hurt you again..." He rubbed his head against her shoulder. "I'm sorry..."

Finally, Xion turned around to him, which he had let her go. She looked into his eyes to see his remorse. "There's no need…to feel sorry…"

Silence stood between them. When he stared into her eyes, they seemed dark and empty. Roxas looked around to make sure no one was around to interrupt them. Then, he turned his attention back to Xion and held out his hand as a sign he wanted them to talk alone. Xion's eyes lowered. Slowly, she took his hand. She wanted to hear what he had to say. They headed outside of the school. Both of them walked gradually along the dirt road. Roxas looked over at her and decided to speak first. "Are you…okay…?" Xion wasn't sure how to answer that. Mentally and emotionally, it was too much. Since she didn't respond, Roxas took it as a sign that she wasn't. A look of regret came on his face. "I wanted to look out for you, but all I did was end up making things worse… I thought you were mad at me because of the night we had together. You weren't ready and I should've seen that. Then, I let you get hurt again. I should've kept you behind me. I should've gotten you out of there. That way, you wouldn't have fell down the stairs and ended up in the hospital. I was…scared when I saw the blood. I was afraid that I was going to lose you again." Roxas looked down as his body began to shake. At that moment, his emotions overwhelmed him. He felt weak for letting her get hurt again. "I'm sorry… Can you forgive me for not protecting you again?"

Xion listened carefully to what he had to say. She didn't hear the one thing that she wanted him to acknowledge. The one thing she was still hurting over. She waited a few seconds before she spoke, "Roxas. I don't blame you for any of it. I tried to get in the way of you and Riku before you guys started a fight. I should've made sure that Riku knew that we weren't together."

Roxas shook his head. "Don't blame yourself for any of that! It was my fault!"

Xion looked over at him. "It's not." Her eyes lowered. "We shouldn't blame ourselves for any of it. What happened, happened..."

"But I don't like seeing you like this..." Then, Roxas thought of something else that he hadn't said to her yet. "Xion…?" Her eyes didn't lift up to meet his. He continued, "I'm sorry about everything. The fight, that night…" Roxas grabbed onto her hand tightly. "And I'm sorry…" His eyes lowered toward the ground as he felt guilt well in the pit of his stomach. "…about the baby," he whispered. Suddenly, Xion turned her head to him surprised as she let out a small gasp. "I should've figured it out sooner when you tried to tell me. Maybe that way, I could've made sure you didn't have to be sad and…" The next part was hard to say. Then, he looked over at her. "Remember when you asked me if I would've run away with you? Well, even if you would've told me about the baby, I still would've run away with you." Both of them stopped. Xion couldn't believe that he said that. Still, she was glad to hear it. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him as she closed her eyes tight. Roxas returned the hug with his eyes closed as well. Shortly after, they parted and started walking. Roxas smiled a little for comfort. "So…? Do you feel a little better?"

Xion shook her head. She felt as if she could be honest with him. "No. I still…feel sad," she admitted. She held her hand to stomach and grabbed onto her shirt. Now her insides felt empty.

Roxas could see some of her pain through her expression. "How long have you been…?"

"Three months." Roxas still felt uneasy talking about it, but he wanted to help Xion get through it. Xion looked over at him, concerned. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but I didn't know how you would react. When I found out, the doctor told me that I was two months along. I didn't know what I should do. I thought that my new family would be mad at me. I didn't want to give up the baby, so I decided that if they didn't accept it, that I would run away and I would take care of the baby myself. That's why I wanted to stay away from everyone… including you. Then, you agreed to run away with me, so then I thought it wouldn't be so bad if we ran away together, but then…" Her eyes lowered as they began to shake.

He looked down with her as well. "I'm sorry..."

Xion turned to him. "I should've told you earlier you know. About…our..." She was nervous about saying "our" just as nervous as he was hearing it. A bond that would've connected them forever. Xion smiled a little. "While I was alone, I was thinking about him."

Roxas arched his eyebrow. "Him?"

Xion nodded. "Yeah. I think it would've been a 'him'."

Roxas placed his hands in his pockets. "Nah... It probably would've been a girl."

Xion looked surprised. "How come?"

He smiled as he felt more relaxed. The answer was easy. "Because 'she' would've taken after her mom… As strong as she is."

Xion couldn't help but smile more. His words made her happy and it made him happy to see her smile again. "Thank you Roxas… I guess I was holding onto to 'them' because I wanted to make sure that I wasn't alone anymore."

Roxas grabbed her hand and smiled to assure her. "As long as I'm here, you'll never be alone." Xion closed her eyes and nodded as she continued to smile. She was grateful to hear that. As they walked, she noticed something. Slowly, she slipped her hand out of his and walked ahead. Roxas stared ahead surprised and paced after her. "Xion? Where are you going?" He caught up with her and grabbed her hand, but she wouldn't stop. She wouldn't look back at him. He couldn't see the determined look on her face. He wondered where she was going. Soon, she stopped which Roxas bent down, breathing hard. He placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath. When he stood up straight, he was stunned. "What? What are we doing here?! Xion-!" He stopped once he saw the angry look on her face. Her fists baled at her sides. There, they stood in front of the organization's hideout. Luckily, there was no one there but them. Roxas stepped in front of her. He didn't understand what she was thinking. "Why did you come here?"

Xion's eyes traveled toward the ground. "I've been thinking for a while now. I shouldn't run away anymore because this doesn't compare to what I already lost." Roxas sighed as he looked down. That would be something else that would haunt him too. He was just glad that none of the organization was there to deal with. Xion advanced inside and Roxas followed behind her. Both of them took the time to look around to remember the past. Xion stopped and looked back at Roxas. "Maybe it's time to start over." Roxas nodded in agreement.

"I couldn't agree more." a voice said behind them.

Quickly, Roxas and Xion turned around as they worried that one of the members had found them. Instead, they saw a familiar silver-haired boy in front of both of them. Xion turned to him completely. "Riku? How did you find us?"

Riku stepped in between Roxas and Xion. His glare focused on Roxas. "I was looking for you after school to make sure that you were okay, but then I saw you leaving with him." Then, he stopped in front of Xion as he gave her a serious stare. "I thought you agreed with me that it was better for you to stay away from him."

Roxas got upset as he baled his fist. "Now you're trying to keep me away from her?!"

Xion's eyes lowered as she felt bad because she did agree with Riku in the hospital. Riku turned his attention back to Roxas. "Yeah so she doesn't end up being reckless like you." Roxas clutched his teeth. Riku stepped passed Xion and headed out. "Come on Xion. You should leave your past behind because you can see that it brings you nothing but trouble."

Roxas's eyes widened. "You told him about your past?!" his voice raised.

A worried look came on Xion's face. "I didn't say all of it!" She glanced toward the ground. "It was in the hospital that-."

Riku held his hand in front of her to stop her. "Stay away from her Roxas. I won't tell you again." Riku looked over at Xion. "Let's go." Xion wondered what she should do. Whether or not to leave Roxas behind again. To start a new life like she planned. Still, she couldn't forget everything that Roxas and her just talked about. Everything Roxas said...

"Xion." Xion looked over at Roxas. She could see the worried look on his face. Regardless of what was right, her heart still wanted her to be with him.

"Xion." Xion turned her head back to see Riku with a serious look on his face. "Don't fall for it. You don't want to go through the same thing again, do you? The same pain?" Xion's eyes widened. The thought of losing something else she cared about scared her. Then, her eyes lowered sad. Was Riku right?

Roxas stood surprised. He couldn't believe Riku said that just to make her go with him. Roxas felt as if he was losing her again. "Xion don't believe him."

Riku took her hands and smiled to assure her. "It'll be okay. You can start anew again and forget this. You'll be happy again." Slowly, Xion lifted her head and stared up into Riku's eyes. Xion could believe it, but she didn't know if she could truly be happy. Riku placed his hand on Xion's shoulder. "Come on. Let's go." Xion's eyes searched his. There she had found comfort. At that moment, his words were easier to believe. Riku turned around and walked along with her.

Roxas baled his fist tight. What could he do to bring her back? He wanted to be there to protect her, but he couldn't help but feel as if he had failed her again. He knew he messed up already, but he couldn't lose her. As he tried to think of what he could do or say, he searched around, anxious. Then, he noticed something. His eyes shifted over to a wooden stand. Once he saw what was on the surface, his eyes widened a little. Roxas walked over closer. There, he saw a small, black pistol. It seemed like one of Xigbar's guns. He never held one before. He picked up and opened the back. There was only one bullet inside. Memories of the past came to mind. Sadness overwhelmed him. Even back then, he couldn't protect the one he cared about most. Whether back then or now, it seemed like he couldn't protect anyone he cared for. If he couldn't, then what else could he do? He felt helpless. When he left his thoughts, he noticed that his hands shook. Out of all of his options, one stuck out in his mind. What would it be like if he had done so? Would anything change? As he buried himself deeper into his own darkness, the light left from his eyes. The violent shaking from his hands began to slow down. Roxas closed the barrier in the gun and held it at his side. "Xion..." he whispered loud enough for both Xion and Riku to hear. Both of them turned their heads. Roxas's head was tilted down to where his bangs casted a shadow over his eyes. His voice had turned dull and deadpanned. "I know that he's trying to make you choose between the both of us. I know I messed up and I'm sorry. Just know that… I never wanted to lose you again..."

Riku felt on edge as Xion became worried. Through his eyes, he seemed zoned out and lost. Then, Riku looked down at her. "He's right. We'll settle this once and for all so we don't have to keep doing this. You choose who you want to stay with."

Xion looked at Riku before she looked down. She didn't want to have to hurt anyone neither could she take being hurt again. Xion turned to Roxas. "Roxas-."

"Don't say it. If it's not me, then don't say it. It's better…that you leave now."

Xion gave him a concerned look. She reached out toward him. "Roxas…"

Roxas refused to look up at her. "I understand… I told you that I would look out for you. Now looked at what happened. I just messed things up again, but you don't have to worry anymore… It's all right now…I just want you to be happy...even if it's not with me..." Slowly Roxas's hand rose up with the gun. Its target was soon pointed toward the side of his head.

Xion's eyes widened along with Riku's. Xion baled her hands against her chest. "What are doing?!"

Riku held out his hand toward him. "Put that thing down!"

"It's all right…" Roxas whispered. The same memory from his past came to mind again. A gentle smile crossed his lips. Now, he would get the chance to see 'her' again…

Xion could see his finger began to press on the trigger. Time felt as if it had slowed down at that moment. "No!" Xion rushed over toward Roxas. Quickly, she knocked his hand away. Her head pressed hard against his chest as she closed her eyes tight and her arms wrapped around his waist. She squeezed him tighter. Tears began rolling down her eyes uncontrollably. "Don't do this!" She lifted her head toward him. "I choose you."

Riku stood stunned and anxious. "Xion! He's just using that so that you would choose him! He's bluffing! Don't fall for it!"

Xion forced the gun out Roxas's hand and dropped it on the floor. Afterwards, she wrapped her arms around as he remained still. His empty eyes stared forward, non-responsive. "It's okay. I'm here."

Cautious, Riku stepped over and picked the gun up off of the floor. He checked inside to see the one bullet still in there. Seeing that had put him on edge. He could see now that Roxas wasn't bluffing. He had every intention of using it. Riku turned his attention back to Xion. "Xion! I have the gun now! You don't have to fall for it!"

Xion shook her head. She refused to leave from Roxas's side. "I'm sorry…" Riku breathed in a little as his lips parted. He didn't want to give up, but he wasn't sure how to convince her otherwise. Roxas leaned his head against Xion. He was sure that she would leave her past behind especially him. "It's okay." Xion placed his arm around her shoulder and helped him to walk out. She glanced back toward Riku. "I'm going to take him back home." Riku watched as they disappeared. It seemed as if she had already chosen. He decided to leave them alone...

Later, the two made it back to Roxas's home. So far, it seemed as if it was only the two of them. Xion helped him to sit on the edge of his bed. Xion kneeled down in front of him as she looked concerned. He still seemed out of it. "Roxas…" Her hand brushed against his cheek. His eyes still seemed dark and empty. "It's all right now. I'm here."

"I'm sorry…about…everything. It's…my fault." At first, she was surprised to hear his words, but soon it changed back to concerned. He seemed distant like something else was on his mind. Then, he turned his head toward her. "You wanted to stay behind… right? You wanted to move on." Her eyes lowered toward the ground. He held his head down as well, disappointed. "I stopped you before you chose." He took a moment before he spoke. He had almost given into his moment of weakness, but she had saved him. Now that things were calm, he made his own decision. "It's all right…if you want to go back to him. I'm all right now. I didn't mean to make you worry. Really…I'm all right."

Xion's eyes widened as she stared at him. She was surprised that he was willing to let him go. Then, she pressed down on her teeth. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What were you thinking…? Why would you try to do something like that…?" Roxas's eyes shifted toward the side. Back there, he let himself fall into his own sadness. Deep down, he knew what else had influenced him. Xion closed her eyes as tears began to well in her eyes. "I've already lost several people I cared about. I can't lose another…" It became too much. Tears rolled down her eyes. She buried her face within his shoulder.

Slowly, Roxas raised his hands and placed them on her back. He didn't mean to make her cry, but he wasn't sure what to say to comfort her. His eyes lowered toward the floor as his stomach tightened. He had already put her through a lot. He didn't want to make her hurt anymore. "Xio-." Then, he felt her lift from him. Suddenly, his eyes widened. Roxas felt her lips crushed against his. Her reaction surprised him. She lifted up from the floor and kneeled against the edge of the bed. He was really there with her and he was okay. The two continued to kiss fiercely. Her tongue brushed against his own. His arms wrapped around her waist as she grabbed the back of his neck. As she moved in closer to him as her knees squeezed in on the sides of his hips. As the two embraced, her hand slid down along his chest toward the buttons of his shirt. She pulled at the fabric, which made them loosen and split apart. Surprised, Roxas parted from her. "W-Wait-." Xion tilted her head toward his neck. He breathed out as he closed eyes. He felt her lips pull at his skin. "X-Xion…" She leaned forward as he leaned back. His body fell back against the bed. She placed kisses along her chest before she met his lips again. She loosened his pants before she reached up and loosened the buttons from her shirt. He sat up on elbow. "Xion…"

XXX

"It's all right…" Xion whispered. As she spoke, she reached underneath her skirt and slid her underwear off of her legs. She slid his pants further down his hips. Afterwards, she pressed hands and knees further into his bed as she adjusted herself on top of him. She closed her eyes tight as she felt a little pain. A small cry escaped from her lips. She took a moment to get used to him again.

Breath escape from him. His body began to feel more relaxed connected with her. His eyes lifted up to her along with his hand. Softly he pressed against her cheek underneath the strands of her hair. He noticed the sadness on her face. "We shouldn't…" he whispered.

Xion placed her hand on top of his as she closed her eyes. She wanted to push all other feelings aside. "Please…" His thumb brushed against her cheek. He wanted to bring her comfort. His other hand slid along her neck and pushed her shirt off of her shoulder along with the strap of her bra. He moved further down her chest and slipped his hand into the cup. She breathed out as she felt him caress her. Heat rushed to her cheeks as her lips parted. She placed her hand against his chest and pushed with her hips back and forth. More, she lost herself with him. All other thoughts were pushed out of her mind. Through her pain, she began to feel pleasure.

"Xion…" Anxious, he flipped both of them over. Her back pressed against the bed as he pressed his body against her. Xion tilted her head back as she moaned. He pressed himself hard and fast into her. Like her, he lost himself in her as well. He slipped her bra further down her breasts. His lips and tongue caressed the right center as his fingers caressed the left. Moans escaped from her lips. The feeling of sadness left. All she could focus on was what she experienced at that moment. His nails dug into his back and slid further down. As he continued, he could feel her insides tighten. He closed his eyes tight. Being with her again had made him feel as if no one could take her away again. An audible moan escaped from him. Underneath him, he could feel shake. His body pressed against hers as he reached his end. After he released, he slowed down to a stop. As he leaned his elbows, he breathed out heavily along with her.

* * *

After he relaxed a little, Roxas lifted up. Both of their eyes met. Tired, he sat on the edge of the bed. Xion turned her head toward the window. Outside, she noticed the orange and yellow colored sky. Things felt surreal. At that moment, she didn't feel sad. She didn't feel much at all. Everything that was going on didn't seem to bother her anymore. It was peaceful just to lay there. When Roxas looked back, he noticed how quiet she was. He wondered what she was thinking. "Hey…" Xion sat up on the edge of the bed alongside him. She straightened out her clothes and grabbed her underwear from off of the floor. Before he said anything, he watched as she walked out of the room. He became concerned. What if she had already left? Should he go after her? Then, he heard a sound from down the hall. A few minutes later, she stepped back in. "You're back."

She smiled a little. "You think I would leave without saying goodbye? I just went to use your bathroom."

He rubbed the back of his head. "Oh…!" Roxas smiled relieved.

As there was a calm look on her face, he sat down beside him. "Do you mind if I say here a little longer?"

He nodded. "Yeah." Later, the two of the lied beside each other face to face. As she had her eyes closed, he tilted her head against his chest. Things were peaceful and the world was left behind. He wrapped his hand around her waist and he leaned on top of his head. "It's getting late. Do you want me to walk you back?"

Xion shook her head against his chest. "No."

Roxas looked a little surprised. "Are you sure? I-."

Xion sat up as she looked a little concerned. "I was thinking that I could stay the night again."

He gave her a surprised look. "Really?" Xion nodded. "Okay….Xion? Are you sure you're okay? I mean…" His eyes traveled toward the side. "Are you sure you don't want to change your mind about me?"

"Promise me one thing?" Curious, he lifted his eyes to her. She stared at him serious. "Never do that again. I don't want to lose you..." In response he nodded. She closed her eyes as she shook her head. "I just don't understand why you would do something like that. What were you thinking?"

His eyes shifted toward the side. "I don't know...I just felt...useless. I felt like I was losing everything I cared about again."

Xion became curious. She hadn't heard anything like this from him before. "Again?"

Roxas shook his head. He didn't want to dwell on the past again. "It's nothing..."

Xion was concerned, but decided not to press on it further. "I'll be here for you when you need me and I want to stay here with you. You're not alone in this." She didn't regret what happened between them. As long as they were together, everything was fine. Afterwards, she lied back beside him. Later that night, they fell asleep together.

The next day, instead of going to school, the two decided to stay in Roxas's room. After everything that happened the day before, they weren't ready to face the outside world again. Together, they relaxed as it was just the two of them.

The morning after, Roxas and Xion walked hand in hand in the hallway. The two remained silence toward each other. Neither one of them knew where things would take them now, but inside they were happy as long as they were together.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	29. The Runaways: A Little Rain Must Fall

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story and adding this to your favorites and alerts! For any story updates, I've started a twitter account where I'll start posting chapter and story updates! Anyway, p_ _lease enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

 _The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 28: A Little Rain Must Fall:_

Xion and Roxas walked hand in hand in the hall as they did every morning now. Soon, they stopped beside her classroom. Roxas smiled at her, which she smiled back. "I'll see you later then?" he whispered between them.

Xion nodded. "Yeah." Slowly, he let go of her hand. She walked inside as she continued to smile gently at him. He returned the same smile. It had been a few weeks since they decided to stay together. Over time, things had become better between them with everything that happened and their lives were back to a state of normalcy. As long as she was truly happy with him, it made him feel happy as well. Then, the bell rung for everyone to be in class. Roxas snapped out of his thoughts as he looked surprised and ran further down the stairs to get to his own class.

When he got there, his teacher stood in the doorway with a stern glare. "You're late."

Roxas rubbed the back of his head as he wondered what excuse he should come up. "Sorry..."

She crossed her arms in front of her. "This isn't the first time that I've caught you. You've been late a few times in the past few weeks. I'm going to have to give you detention."

Roxas's eyes widened. "But-!"

The teacher headed inside as she glanced back at him. "I won't excuse this any longer." Roxas sighed as he looked down. Now he would be late to meet Xion…

After school, when Xion got out of the library, Roxas waited for her as usual across the hall. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He smiled as soon as he saw her. She did the same. He held out his hand for her to take. They turned and walked together. "I should be able to get here tomorrow without being late."

Xion gave him a curious look. "What's going on?"

Roxas rubbed the back of his head. "I was late to class this morning so I got detention for a few days."

Her eyes lowered as she felt guilt in her stomach. "I'm sorry."

Roxas shook his head. "There's no need to be. Besides, as long as I can to see you every morning, I guess I can deal with it for a few days."

She nodded as she grinned. "I guess you're right."

A few days later, Larxene traveled along the second floor, bored as Axel followed behind her. He wished that she wouldn't walk around, searching for trouble, especially on a floor that brought back memories of dear friends. Larxene stopped in front of a window as she placed her hands behind her head. "There's never anything to do around here."

Axel stopped beside her. "Maybe that's a good thing."

Then, the expression on Larxene's face changed to confusion. "Huh?" Outside, she spotted Roxas walking with Xion. The two held hands as they talked. Larxene couldn't help but notice Xion's laughter. She pouted and crossed her arms. "Hm."

Axel placed his hands in his pockets as he looked curious. "What's up?"

Larxene put her hand on her waist. "Well... Doesn't she look happy?"

"Hm?" Axel glanced down at the school grounds. "Yeah."

"Think they're together now?" Larxene asked.

Axel thought about the past and whether or not he noticed any signs that Roxas cared about Xion like that. "It seems that way."

Larxene pressed down on her teeth upset. "Look at her. You wouldn't even think that we kicked her out of the organization."

Axel sighed with his eyes closed. " _We_ didn't kick her out. _You_ did something a lot worse." Slowly, he opened his eyes as he felt regret for what happened that night, for lying to Roxas and letting Xion get hurt...

Larxene smirked as she came up with an idea. "You know how I said I've been bored lately?"

Axel scratched the back of his head as he hoped that she didn't plan anything bad. "Come on Larxene… We got other things we can do. Don't worry about them."

Larxene rubbed her chin. "I just came up with a fun idea. Something we can all do as a gang together."

Axel didn't understand her. "Why won't you let this go?!"

Larxene smirked. "Because it's fun." She glanced below at Roxas and Xion before she walked off. Axel stood worried and wondered if he should warn Roxas, but he wasn't sure what she planned. He stood in place as he watched Larxene head back up to their floor where their classes were. He turned his head one more time to see Roxas and Xion sit down under a tree as they pulled their lunches from their bags. His guilt started to grow. Both of them seemed happy together. He didn't want to ruin that. Then, he turned and followed behind Larxene. He knew whatever she was up to, it would bring nothing but bad memories for Roxas and especially Xion...

After school was over, Xion waited patiently outside of her classroom. She leaned against the wall with her hands behind her back. A few minutes later, Roxas ran over to meet her. He bent over as he breathed hard. Even though she was late for work at the library, she still wanted to see him. Roxas stood up straight and saw her smile. "Hey!"

He mirrored her smile. He was tempted to kiss her, but held back. "Hey! Sorry. I wanted to see you before I had to stay after school too."

"It's your last day of staying in detention so I think you'll make it." Roxas grinned at her joke. Afterwards, they went their separate ways to where they had to go. As Xion walked in the hall, there were two people that walked toward her. She was about to step into the library, but someone placed their hand on the door. Xion lifted her head to see Larxene with a devious smirk on her face. She pulled the door closed and cornered Xion. Xion's back pressed against the door. She was a little afraid, but not as much as before. "What do you want?"

"Wow! I'm surprised you want to get to the point instead of being afraid of me."

Xion frowned as she glared at Larxene. "I'm not scared of you."

Larxene became more interested as she wondered if she would be saying the same thing later. "All right then. Then I guess you won't mind coming with us."

Xion looked behind her to see Marluxia with the same kind of smirk. She was worried, but tried not to show it. Xion shook her head. "I'm not going."

Larxene laughed a little. "Yes you are. You're going to come and hang out with us." She bent down to her level and stared into her eyes. "We're not really giving you a choice." Out of the corner of her eye, Xion could see Larxene fiddling with her pocket knife behind her back. She knew that she wouldn't hesitate to use it. "It'll be just like old times."

Xion looked up at Larxene with confusion and concern. "Why are you doing this?"

Larxene wrapped her arm around Xion and made her walk with her. "Because we miss you. That's why." Larxene pushed her forward. "Let's go!" Xion's eyes traveled down as she walked between Larxene and Marluxia. She wondered what Larxene would do next…

Inside of the detention room, Roxas leaned his head on his hand, bored. He glanced up at the clock as he waited for time to go by. He wished that he could spend time with Xion or at home, but this was the last day of punishment. He could get through it. Roxas sat by the window since it was more interesting to look outside than the blackboard. Minutes later, he spotted a group of people walk onto school grounds. Then, he noticed the one person in the middle try to run off, but a woman with blond hair caught her by the arm. Roxas's eyes widened. He took a closer look at who was really down there. Below, he recognized the woman with blonde antennas. He didn't know why he didn't see it before. Quickly, his eyes shifted over to see who Larxene caught. Short black hair and petite figure. It was Xion! Without thinking, Roxas stood from his desk and banged his fist against the glass of the window. "No!" He couldn't let her get hurt again.

The teacher in charge got worried because of his behavior. His shout made her jump from reading her book. "What's wrong? Sit back in your seat."

Roxas's eyes shook. He watched as Xion had to walk away with the two. The teacher called him again, which caught his attention. "I have to go!"

Her eyes widened. "Wait?! What?!"

He rushed to her desk and grabbed onto the edges. "I have to go now!"

She blinked at him a few times. She started to get frantic herself. "What's the emergency?!"

"Please! I have to go!" he replied with a sense of urgency.

Hearing him worried her more. "Tell me and I can let you go."

"There's a girl in trouble and she needs help!" After she heard that, the teacher calmed down. She thought that maybe it was a bathroom emergency. She frowned. "If you're looking for an excuse to get out of detention, then you should try to come up with a better one."

"Just look! She's out there!" He ran back to the window and the woman followed behind him. Then, his eyes shook. Xion was already gone. "No… I'm too late," he whispered. He was too late to convince her that Xion was really in trouble.

The teacher frowned. "I don't have time to listen to your excuses or stories." She walked to her desk and sat down.

Roxas followed her and leaned his hands against her desk. "Listen! I'm telling you the truth! There were some people just there and they took a girl!"

The teacher arched her eyebrow. "Well then. We should get the police involved, shouldn't we?"

"No…" His eyes traveled down. He didn't want the organization trying anything.

The teacher gave him a stern look. "I suggest that you sit back down now."

Roxas growled a little. Xion needed help now. He needed to find her. He was about to run out of the classroom when the teacher stopped him in the doorway. "If you leave now, then I'll have no choice but to give you something worse than detention like suspension or even expulsion."

Roxas clutched his teeth. He turned around. "This is a real emergency! I'm telling the truth!"

The teacher looked up at the clock. "You still have a little bit of time left. I'm sure you can wait until then."

Roxas shook his head. "I can't."

"Leave now and you will be in big trouble." Roxas stared at the woman who kept her serious glare. As much as it hurt him to, he reluctantly sat back at his desk. He sighed with his eyes closed. He couldn't risk getting in trouble at home nor risk talking about Xion's past. He pressed his hands on the sides of his head as he held his head down. _"Xion…just hang on for just a little bit longer…"_ The teacher saw how distressed he was and started to feel guilty, but she stuck by the rules. As the minutes passed, Roxas couldn't help but stress more. He remembered what happened to Xion before and hoped with everything that it wouldn't happen again. He couldn't handle it if he wasn't there to protect her again. He placed his head on his desk with his eyes closed. His arms covered his face. He wished that time would go faster. The teacher couldn't help but notice him still. She looked over at the clock. It wasn't time yet, but a few minutes away. "You can go now," she said, reluctantly. Roxas lifted his head. "If you want." Quickly, he grabbed his stuff and took off into the hall. He ran nonstop. He thought of only one place that they would take her. He would try to get there as fast as his feet would take him.

Inside of the hideout, Xion sat on the couch as she stared toward the floor, worried. Other members stood nearby as they talked among each other. Then, Larxene walked over and sat beside her. She smirked at her and nudged her arm. "Awe! Not having fun?"

Xion refused to look at her as she frowned. "Why did you bring me here?"

Larxene gave her a confused look. "Huh? I told you-."

"Why couldn't you just leave me alone?! I don't want to be here!" she shouted upset.

Larxene grinned. "I know."

Xion glared at her. "Is that why you keep coming after me?! Because I got out and you couldn't?!"

Larxene clutched her teeth as she got angry. "What did you say to me? Ha!" She grabbed onto Xion's arm forcefully and squeezed it in her hand. Her eyes traveled along her skin. "Most of the cuts I left on you have faded, but still, you really think that I want to end up like you? Beaten up?"

"No! You're scared to get out because the same thing that happened to me would happen to you! You won't leave because you're scared like everyone else!" Xion's voice rose.

Angry, Larxene slapped her across the face. Xion fell off the couch onto the ground, on her hands and knees. She breathed out to subdue the stinging pain in her cheek. Larxene stood up. "Let's get one thing straight! I don't care if I leave or not! I just can't stand you! Some random girl like you shows up and gets to do more than I do! Please! I'm way better!"

Marluxia, Saix, Demyx, and Zexion looked over to see what happened. Dull looks came on their faces. "Do you really have to cause more trouble?" Saix asked.

Xion sat back on the couch. Larxene glared at her, but soon walked away to calm down. Xion sat quietly and avoided the eyes of the other members. Demyx scratched his head. "Why did Larxene bring her back here again?"

Marluxia smirked. "She just wanted to bring something to play with."

Saix frowned. "This is a waste of time. She's useless now, but... Larxene brings up a point. We can't risk her telling about us." Xion wished that she could leave, but had no idea when or if they would let her out...

Outside, it started to rain. The clouds were dark and gray in the sky. Roxas ran toward the hideout where he figured Larxene had taken Xion. He hoped that she wasn't hurt. Ahead, he spotted another figure walking ahead of him. Hearing the rapid splashing behind him, the man ahead of him looked back. "Hm?" Once their eyes met, they both stared stunned. "Roxas?"

Roxas growled through his teeth. He rushed over and grabbed Axel by his shirt. "Where did she take her?!"

Axel blinked surprised as he was caught off guard. "Who?"

"Where did Larxene take Xion?!"

Axel's eyes widened. "What?!" Then, his eyes traveled toward the ground. "Larxene must've carried out her plan. She probably took her back to the hideout."

Roxas let go of Axel and walked pass him. "I'm going to get her back!"

Axel turned to him, anxious. "Wait! Let me go with you!" Roxas looked back toward him. "Listen…I know that I messed up in the past, but let me make up for it now. I want to make it up to you and to Xion." Roxas turned around to face him. He could see his look of remorse. "I was wrong that night... I should've told you where she was, but I wanted to protect you."

Roxas baled his fists at his sides. "Xion was your friend too… and if I was really your friend, you would've told me where she was!" Pushing his words aside, he took off running. "I don't have time for this!" Axel's eyes traveled down, uneasy. His words really struck him...

A few minutes later, Roxas made it to the hideout. Inside, he spotted Xion on the couch alone. She stared down with her hands together in her lap, worried. A look of relief came on his face that she was okay. Now the only thing to do was think of a way to get her out of there, especially past the others. Suddenly, a shiver ran across his body. The rain started to soak him and his clothes more from being out in the rain so long. Demyx stepped closer outside, while still being covered by the edge of the roof. He had his guitar in hand. "Hey! It's raining! I could probably go and play my guitar out there. Dance water! Dance for me!"

He was about to march out into the rain, but Zexion stopped him with a dull stare. "Isn't that an electric guitar?"

Demyx smiled. "Yeah."

"Then wouldn't that ruin it...?"

Demyx looked down at his blue guitar. "Oh yeah! Well… I could probably just buy a new one anyway!" He laughed, which Zexion sighed with his eyes closed. He shook his head and walked away.

Roxas stepped in closer once Demyx went back inside. Quickly, he moved and hid from box to box. Once he was close enough, he waited until some of the members walked away before he called out. "Xion!" he whispered loudly.

Xion turned her head. Once she saw it was him, she was stunned. "Roxas," she mouthed. She couldn't believe that he was there or that he knew where she was. He signaled for her to come over to him. Xion looked around to make sure that no one was watching her. So far, it seemed like they had taken their attention off of her. Slowly, she slid off of the couch and began to walk toward him.

"Hey!" When Xion looked back, she saw an angry Larxene head toward her. She grabbed her arm tight, which made Xion's eyes wince in pain. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"Hold on Larxene." When Xion looked over, she became surprised. In front of her, she saw Axel. "You'll have your fun in due time."

Larxene let go of her as she looked at him confused. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't want any part of this."

He arched his eyebrow. "Is that why you didn't tell me?"

Larxene rolled her eyes. "I don't want to hear from you 'leave her alone' again."

Axel looked over at Xion. "I just wanted to see what you were going to do next." He placed his hand on Larxene's shoulder and turned her away from Xion. "Where's the fun if you start now?" He looked back at Xion who was unsure of what Axel was up to. Then, he glanced toward Roxas. Roxas blinked, surprised that Axel knew where he was at that moment. He figured that Axel was giving them an opening to escape. Axel pulled Larxene more toward the others. She gave him a confused look.

As Xion watched them, she suddenly felt her hand grabbed and she was pulled off to the side. She kneeled down beside Roxas. Xion stared at him, still stunned that he came for her. "What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?" she whispered between them.

Roxas grabbed onto her hand. "Don't worry about it. Let's just get out of here."

They turned, about to sneak off, but then a hand grabbed Xion's arm. Both Roxas and Xion looked over to Saix with a frown on his face. He forced Xion and Roxas out into the open, which caught everyone's attention. Axel looked worried. It seemed like his distraction didn't work. "Look… I found some rats that tried to sneak out." Saix glared toward Roxas. "So you came back too?"

Roxas growled as he pressed on his teeth. "I came here to get Xion back! You guys took her."

Larxene smirked as she flipped her knife in her hand. "No we didn't. She decided to come with us."

Roxas baled his fists. "Cut the crap Larxene! Why can't you just leave her alone?! She got out of this!"

"So did you." Roxas looked over at Saix. "You're right. Neither one of you should be here."

Roxas and Xion stepped back. As they did, he looked around just in case he needed to defend both of them. Then, he spotted a wooden board on the ground. He went over and quickly grabbed it. Flashes of seeing Xion and himself lying in the hospital ran through his mind. He wasn't going to let either one of them get hurt again. He held onto the board tightly in front of him. "Stay back!" Roxas warned them.

Larxene rolled her eyes. "Oh come on! There's two of them and a lot of us." Roxas lunged the board toward them to keep some distance. Larxene sighed loudly and walked in. She kicked Roxas into the stomach followed by a punch. Roxas fell back onto the floor, which Xion bent down to help him.

Quickly, Xion searched around for something to defend them with. Then, she saw the gun on the board near the couch. The same one that Roxas had picked up before the last time they were there. She ran over and grabbed it. She stepped in front of Roxas to protect him and pointed it toward the other members. Xion watched all of them to make sure no one made a move. Her hands constantly shook as she was scared. Suddenly, she saw a hand come from behind her and pressed down on the gun for her to lower it. Xion's eyes met Roxas's. His eyes gave a serious, but concern look. He didn't want her to accidentally shoot someone. If anything were to happen today, he didn't want her to get in trouble for it. He took the gun from her hand and pointed it back at the other members. The others seemed more on edge. There was a chance that he would pull the trigger.

Larxene pouted upset as she put her hand on her hip. "Oh come on! There aren't enough bullets in that gun for all of us. We can still take him."

Demyx looked nervous. He definitely didn't want to take one of those bullets. "What?! You want to risk us getting hit?!"

Roxas stepped back a little, which Xion followed him. "Listen. Don't ever bring Xion here again. I won't let you hurt her like you did before. She's not going to die because of any of you!" Axel's eyes traveled down uneasy as he thought about their past. "Don't follow us!" Roxas warned. He moved Xion back as he kept his eyes on the members until they were outside. As soon as they were, Roxas grabbed Xion's hand and took off running. The rain and air felt cold against them.

Inside, the others watched as they left. Larxene looked around at them as she wondered why they let them get away. "Come on!"

She was about to walk out there, but Saix stopped her. "Just let them go. We have more important things to deal with." The others walked away except Larxene, who pressed down on her teeth as she growled.

Outside, Roxas kept running without letting go of Xion's hand. The rain soaked through their clothes. Xion wanted to slow down, but kept running to keep up with him. As they ran, Roxas slipped and fell into a puddle on the ground. He groaned after he hit the ground hard. The road was already slick and hard to run on. Xion reached over and picked him up off of the ground. "Are you okay?"

Roxas wiped his face and turned his head to her. "Yeah." Then, he glanced back to see if anyone followed them, but there was no one there but them. Still, he wasn't willing to take any chances. He grabbed onto Xion's hand again and kept running.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Since the members knew where they lived, he thought they might cause trouble for both of them. Mostly, he wanted to run to a place where no one would find them. Finally, they reached the edge of the island where their boats were docked. They stopped in front of Roxas's boat. Xion noticed that he was shivering. "Roxas?"

The rain made him very wet and cold. He opened his eyes and looked over at her. "We're going to island. I know a place that only a few people do." Putting her trust in him, she helped push his boat off the shore. They got inside and headed for the island. Along the way, he tossed the gun into the ocean so that no one could use it again.

Once they reached the other island, Roxas took her to where there was a tree house. They got inside and sat down on the floor. They were finally out of the rain, but they could still feel the wind inside. Xion held herself with her arms as she shivered from her clothes being wet. Her eyes searched around the three walls. It was pretty empty for the most part except for the huge sheet on the back wall. "How do you know about this place?"

Roxas grabbed the sheet from the wall. "This is my brother's tree house. He told me him and his friends built it when they were younger." He hung the blanket over the entrance of the tree house to block the wind and rain. Afterwards, he grabbed a big, thick blanket that sat in the corner.

"Sora?" Xion watched as he came back toward her. Roxas nodded in response. She smiled until she could feel the cold get to her. She closed her eyes as she continued to shake.

Roxas straightened out the blanket flat and folded it so that they could lie in between it. "You're going to get sick staying in those clothes."

"Seems like you are already." She noticed the way he shivered and sniffled while he ran.

He looked concerned. "You don't mind staying here, do you? At least for a little while until the rain dies down. It looks like there's a bad storm coming."

Xion shook her head. "I don't mind staying here with you. Besides, if we're running away, at least we're doing it together."

He smiled. "Just like we wanted to." Xion nodded. He began to unbutton his shirt, which she looked surprised. He noticed her expression. "Well…it's not like we haven't seen each other before. We can get really sick from keeping these on."

Xion knew he was right. She started to get undressed as well. They placed their clothes on the other side of the tree house. He wrapped himself in the blanket. She followed after and lied beside him. Roxas stared up at the ceiling as he put his hands behind his head. Xion smiled as she held onto the blanket. "Thank you..." Her thanks caught his attention. She closed her eyes. "…for saving me today."

He was relieved that things worked out without them getting worse. "I had to. I couldn't let the same thing happen to you again. I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself."

Xion relaxed as she felt tired. "You know…you should really stop being so hard on yourself." Even if he disagreed with her, he knew there was no use telling her that he wouldn't. Soon, Xion drifted off to sleep while she heard the rain pour softly against the roof. Roxas looked over to see that she fell asleep. Since things were quiet, he decided to let himself fall asleep as well.

Sometime later, Xion opened her eyes. As she woke up, she heard something strange and felt a slight vibration against the floor. When she looked over, she saw Roxas with his eyes closed tight, shivering beside her as his breaths were heavy. She moved closer to him and touched his arm. His skin was freezing cold. She was surprised. She felt fine, but wondered why he was still so cold. She leaned over him. "Roxas?" She tried to get him to open his eyes, but he wouldn't. She looked down as she thought of a way that she could help. Then, she moved closer to him and used her body heat to try and help, but it didn't seem to work any better. He was still shivering and cold. There was only one other thing she could think of. Taking him back home wasn't the best idea since it was still raining and it would only make him sicker. She moved her body over his.

He opened his eyes a little. "What are you doing?"

Xion leaned in closer toward his face and placed soft kisses against his lips.. "I have to make you warm again."

The move surprised him. "You don't have to do this." Xion placed the blanket over them until it covered them completely. She used it as a way to keep the heat in. She continued to kiss him. Soon, his arms wrapped around her body. She took control first until he was ready and took control afterwards.

The next morning, Xion slowly opened her eyes and glanced toward the window. The rays from the sun came in partial through the sheet that covered the entrance. When she pulled back the sheet slightly, she saw the sky was blue and clear for the most part. The clouds were white instead of grey. They had slept through the storm and been there all night. Xion gazed toward the ocean as she wondered what time it was. When she looked over, she saw Roxas still asleep. It scared her when he was sick, but now, she was relieved that he seemed better than last night. She buried herself within the blanket and decided to wait until he woke up before they left. Her head rested on her arm as she closed her eyes.

A few minutes later, Roxas groaned as he woke up. Xion opened her eyes and smiled. "Good morning."

He looked over to see that she was already awake. Then, Roxas glanced toward the entrance to see that the sun was out. He was surprised that they stayed there all night. He turned toward her. "Good morning..."

She looked a little concerned. "Did you sleep okay?"

"As much as I could on these wooden boards..." Xion grinned at his comment. She could understand since they weren't the softest to sleep on. "I'm sorry that I kept you here all night…"

Xion was surprised that he apologized. "We couldn't help if we ended up sleeping here."

"And…" he started to say. Xion listened, curious. "And sorry about what happened here. I-."

It was too much. She couldn't believe that he apologized over that. She frowned toward him. "Don't!" She stopped him before he could say anything else. "Don't say that! I did that because you needed help. Don't ever say sorry for that."

He smiled a little and decided to stop apologizing before he made her anymore upset. "Well then. I guess I owe you."

Xion shook her head. "No. You helped me enough. It's okay." Then, another thought came to mind. "Things have been different since we got together. You told me sorry a lot when you don't need to."

He gave her a curious look. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" She knew she wanted to bring it up before, but she wasn't sure how. "…ever since we went to the hideout when Larxene took the gift you gave me, and our first time that night, and then what happened with Riku."

Maybe she had noticed that he was being a little different toward her. "Yeah..." he whispered.

Her eyes traveled down, sad. "So have I. I…haven't been myself either."

Roxas gave her a surprised look. "You?"

Xion smiled nervously. "Yeah. I think… there's some things we need to work out, so that way, things can be right with us again." Roxas nodded in agreement. "Then can I ask…why did you want to sleep with me that night?"

He thought back. "I was angry being back out at the hideout again. It brought up the memories of you and what happened. I needed some way to take my mind off of it and I thought that I was helping you by doing the same, but… I was doing it for me."

"You don't have to be upset about it," Xion assured him. She could see that he was still mad at himself. "I see it this way. I wanted to be with you, so it would have happened between us eventually. I don't regret it, neither should you. Okay?"

Uneasy, he lifted his eyes to her. "But what about-?"

"Wait." She stopped him just in case she predicted what he was going to say. About what they both lost... Her eyes traveled down, sad. "First...I also ask about... when we were in the hideout, when… you were…about to use that gun… You pointed it toward…your head..." her voice faded out. She touched the side of his head. That moment scared her deeply. She didn't know what she would've done if she had lost him.

Roxas sighed with his eyes closed. It was hard to think about. "I thought I couldn't protect you anymore and…I didn't want to lose you too…"

"Too?" she asked curiously. He turned silent. It seemed like something he didn't want to answer.

He shook his head with his eyes closed. "I shouldn't have done it that way. All I could think was I hurt you again and again and I couldn't make up for that."

She was afraid to ask him what was on his mind, but she had to know. "Did the thought…ever cross your mind of…pulling the trigger?"

He stared at her in silence for a few seconds before he answered, "Yeah… I thought about it..." At that moment, Xion felt responsible for him almost going that far. Apart of her was scared about what he would do if she left him. Roxas smiled to assure her. "Don't worry about it. It was a stupid thought. I wouldn't have done anything."

"Did you think that I wouldn't be happy with you? Is that it?" she asked.

Uneasy, he looked away from her. "You could be happy without me. I know that. It's just…" Xion watched his reaction as he turned silence. He tried his best to put on a smile. "It's just I didn't think that you would be happy with me."

"What would you do if I decided to leave?" she asked concerned.

He stared up at the ceiling as he put his hands behind his head. "If you felt you have to go, then I wouldn't stop you. I would be sad, but… I would just have to find a way to get over it." When he turned his head, he saw that wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. "It's over now. You don't have to worry."

"Still…" For now, she was relieved that he was all right. "Besides… how you do know I would've left with Riku?"

Sadness appeared on his expression. "Because I saw that look on your face. It's the same look you gave me when you tried to stay away from me the first time."

"I'll admit... I thought about it, but truth is, I wouldn't. Despite everything we've been through, I still want to be with you. You don't have to doubt that." A little smile came on his lips. Xion smiled more. "That's why I say we start over. Not dwell on everything that happened."

Roxas nodded. "Okay."

She held up on finger. "But let me ask you this. Why do you feel like you owe me?"

A serious look came on his face. "I told myself, since that day I saw you in the hospital, that no matter what, I would do whatever I could to protect you. That's why I wanted to see you again so that I could keep that promise. I wouldn't let you get hurt again."

Xion stared at him until she sighed with her eyes closed. "Don't you think you've already repaid that promise?"

He smiled a little. "No."

She placed her hand against her chest. "You can't just do that your whole life. Protect me."

He smiled a little. "Who said I can't?"

A nervous look came on her face. She wondered if he caught onto what he just said. Either way, it made her happy that he thought about their future. "Okay." She looked over toward the entrance with a smile on her face. "While I can't forget everything that happened to me in the past, I'm going to move on and not let it hold me back. I can't change it, so why should I continue to live like I'm still in it?" Xion turned her head to catch Roxas nod.

He looked over toward their clothes on the other side of the tree house. "They should be dry by now. At least hope so."

"Hey Roxas..? I was wondering…"

He turned his head curious. "What?"

For a moment, she was quiet as she stared at the calming ocean through the crack in the blanket. "I've been thinking... About what you were going to say a second ago, we never really did... get to say goodbye...to…" She fiddled with her fingers on her lap. "We never found closure with…"

He turned over on his stomach as he watched the sad expression on her face. "Do you mean the baby?" She nodded toward him and lied close to him as she buried herself in the blanket. "Then let's do it. However you want to, I will too."

She smiled, grateful toward him. "Thank you." A tear slipped from her eye. His hand brushed against her raven hair. Maybe it was a sign that she was getting over her pain. He closed his eyes and relaxed there with her. They slept there a few more hours before they headed back home.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update as soon as I can!_


	30. The Runaways: The Part Part 1

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story! I hope that you'll like the next chapter! We're stepping back in time for this one! _

* * *

_The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 29: The Past Part 1:_

 _One year ago…_

Roxas sat on the couch of the organization's hideout as his arms wrapped around the back of the couch. His eyes were glued to the ground. It had only been a week since he joined and a couple of weeks before that since he moved to the island. Suddenly, he felt an elbow push against his side. He looked over to see his new friend Axel who smiled toward him. "Why the long face?"

Roxas leaned back against the couch. "It's nothing…" he muttered.

Silently, Axel breathed out. It seemed like he couldn't get through to him. Ever since they met, he's been brooding and quiet. He wouldn't tell anything about himself when he asked. So far, out of the organization, Roxas had grown to know Axel the most since they sent Axel to hang out with him on the streets. They were the only two in the hideout for the time being. Both of them sat bored since no one had given them anything to do.

A few minutes later, Saix stepped inside with a girl at his side. Axel and Roxas looked interested. It seemed they had a new member. The girl looked small in stature and was very quiet. She wore a hood over her face preventing them from seeing what she looked like. They stopped in front of Axel and Roxas, which they looked curious. Saix pushed the girl along more toward them. "We have a new member. Show her how you do things. I'm leaving it to you to watch over them. I'll introduce her to the rest later." Afterwards, Saix turned and left.

Axel sighed as he wondered why he was getting stuck with the new members. The girl stood still in front of them as she avoided eye contact. Roxas observed her and wondered if she was just going to stand there. Axel held out his hand to the spot empty between him and Roxas. "You wanna sit?" Quietly, the girl walked forward and sat beside them. She kept the head down. Roxas and Axel glanced at each other before they looked back at her. Axel leaned his head on her arm. "So? What's your name?" She didn't answer. As they continued to get a read on the new member, she didn't seem happy being there so they wondered why she was.

After a while, a few other members came in and gather around for Saix's announcement. "We have a new member. Her name is Xion. The fourteenth one to join."

Demyx rubbed the back of his head as he smirked. "Seems like we just keep getting bigger."

Larxene rolled her eyes as she put her hands on her hips. "Do we really need to have any more kids in our gang? They'll probably screw everything up, plus what's the point of having them? It's not like they get to do the real stuff anyway."

Saix looked serious. "The point is to test them out and then we'll move them on to more serious jobs just like we tested you out." Larxene frowned. "I trust that everyone remembers our rules, right? We'll need to go over them for our new members." Roxas glanced at Xion. Ever since she got there, she just kept her head down quietly. He wondered how she joined the organization.

* * *

A few days later, Saix sent Roxas and Xion off together to test them out, to see if they had what it took for them to be in their organization. Roxas walked ahead along the road. He glanced back to see Xion follow behind him with her hood covering her face. She still hadn't spoken since she joined them. Axel tried, but didn't have any luck. It was still awkward, but something had to be done since they had to work together. "So…? How did you join the organization?" Xion didn't respond. She kept her eyes toward the ground. Roxas sighed. He didn't what he could say to get through to her. "We have to work together you know..." Roxas rubbed the back of his head as he looked away. "So if we want to pull this off, you got to talk to me."

She was still silence. Roxas was closed his eyes. It was going to be hard to work with her. "So? Um…?" she spoke nervously.

"Huh?" He stopped in front of her as he looked surprised.

"Your name is Roxas… right?" she asked quietly. Xion stared down as she fiddled her hands in front of her.

He was glad that she was coming around. "Yeah and you're Xion, right?" Xion nodded. "Hey! You don't have to worry. I'm here to help. I haven't been in the organization long and I didn't say that much either when I first joined." Roxas noticed the interested look on her face. He continued, "It wasn't until they put me with Axel that I started getting to know him. It's not so bad. So if you get to know us, I'm sure you'll want to hang out." At first, Xion looked a little surprised, but she giggled with her eyes closed. The last thing he expected was for her to laugh.

Once she relaxed, she looked over curious. They were near the market where they were supposed to carry out their mission. "So? What do we have to do?"

Roxas observed and thought about the best plan. "Well…We just need to... take a few things."

Xion looked concerned. "But…isn't that wrong?"

A serious look came on his face. "It's what we have to do if we want to stay in the organization. Then they'll give us more to do."

Xion's eyes traveled down uneasy. It still felt wrong to steal even if she wanted to stay in the organization. Roxas could see her worry. It seemed like she wasn't ready. Without her, it might be harder. "Listen. Don't worry. I'll look out for you. Just leave everything to me." Xion lifted her head surprised by his words and touched that he would say that to someone he just met. He stood closer. "In the meantime, this is what you can do." The two of them spoken among themselves, before they walked toward the market. Roxas looked back toward Xion. "Just distract the owners and don't look so nervous. I'll take care of the rest." Nervously, Xion nodded. Her stomach tightened. Everything inside of her told her to stop, but she couldn't leave him behind. Roxas looked forward, determined. "Let's go."

Casually, they walked by. Xion was still nervous and stuck close to Roxas. Xion stopped in front of the stand and pretended to look around. The owner smiled toward her. "Hi! What can I do for you?" While she talked to him, Roxas walked close by one of the stands and reached over. He managed to grab an orange and slipped it in his pocket. After he was done, Xion smiled nervously toward the owner. "Thank you. I'm going to keep looking around." They stopped by a few more stands. As she distracted the owners, he grabbed the stuff that was on their list to get.

Xion felt guilt that he was doing this on his own. When they reached another stand, Xion grabbed an apple. She tried to slip it into her pocket until she heard a voice yell toward her. "Hey!" She jumped at the sound of the owner's angry voice. "You got the money to pay for that?!" he yelled. Xion's body froze. The man walked around and grabbed her wrist. "No one steals from me and gets away with it!"

"Hold on!" Roxas rushed over. "Sorry... My sister was reaching for some munny, but I had it all with me." Roxas reached into his pant pocket and handed munny to the owner. Still angry, the owner snatched it out of his hand and walked away. "I better not catch you here next time!"

The two walked away from the outside market. Xion lowered her head, worried. "I'm sorry..." she whispered.

"It's all right," he replied calmly.

She looked over at him. "I messed up." She reached into her jacket pocket and held the apple in front of him. "Here."

He pushed it back toward her. "Keep it. It's yours."

"But…" She looked down toward the apple guilty. "You paid for this because I messed up. This wouldn't have happened if I-."

He didn't know the best thing he could say to comfort her, but only one thing came to mind. "It's okay Xion. It was your first time trying. You'll get it next time."

Xion's eyes lowered saddened. "But…I don't have the money to pay you back…"

Roxas smiled a little for comfort. "Don't worry about paying me back. Just continue to help me. We got everything we needed today because of your help. Just eat okay?"

Xion wasn't sure, but when she looked at the apple, it was too tempting to eat. They walked toward the edge where the ocean was and sat down near the water and boats. Xion devoured the apple quickly. Roxas watched surprised. She was eating as if she hadn't in a long time. "Hey! Maybe you slow down a little."

Xion stopped, but once she looked at her hands, she realized that she had eaten all of it. Her stomach growled, which she pressed her hand against it. A sad look came to her face as she looked toward the ground. Then, he held out the orange in front of Xion. "Here. You can have it."

She was surprised by his kindness "But…I thought it was a part of the list?"

"Who cares? I'll just say I ate it."

She stared down at the orange. "Are you sure?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. It's not a big deal." Listening, she took it from his hand and began eating. "Xion? Can I ask you something?" She nodded toward him. "Have you…eaten in a while?" Xion kept her eyes glued to the ground. She didn't want to admit it in front of him and kept eating. Roxas took it as a yes as his eyes traveled over to her thin, petite figure. He wondered if there was a way he should help her. He felt bad that she had to go through something like this. After she finished eating, Roxas stood up. "You ready to go?" Xion nodded and stood up. They headed back to the hideout. Once they got there, they saw that the place was empty. Roxas figured everyone must've left. Now he would have to wait to tell what Xion and he had done today and that they proved themselves.

Xion sat down on the couch. Roxas placed his hands in his pockets and looked over toward her. "Well... I guess we can go home now." Xion kept her head down as she looked sad. Roxas was about to leave, but noticed that Xion wasn't following behind him. She kept still as she sat. Curious, Roxas wondered if there was something else he didn't know about her. "Xion?" Xion didn't answer. Her body cringed at her name. Roxas walked back over and stopped in front of her. "Aren't you going home?"

"Um…? Yeah…" she replied nervously.

Roxas bent down to her eye level. Xion lifted her head, a little surprised that he stayed. "Xion? Don't you want to go home?" Xion's eyes shifted away from him. She didn't want to tell him the truth. Roxas searched her eyes to figure out what was going on. "Why don't you?" Xion's eyes started to shake. Finally, she closed her eyes. It was too much to handle. Roxas looked toward the ground as he thought that he had gone too far. "Xion? Are you okay?" Xion felt her defenses fall. Only one other person knew the truth about her and it was the reason she was in the organization now. Her head shook to answer him. A few tears left her eyes despite her attempt to try and hold them back. Roxas sat down in front of her. He didn't think it was his place, but a part of him wanted to help.

"I…" Xion began. Her voice started to choke up. "I…" Soon, she lifted her head with a smile. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Now things really concerned him. "It's nothing…you need to worry about. I'll be fine." Roxas didn't believe that. He sat there for a few more minutes to see if maybe she would let him in. Afterwards, he stood up and headed out. He looked back toward Xion. "See you tomorrow."

Xion smiled as best she could. "Yeah. See ya." Roxas walked away and left Xion behind. Xion held her head down. Once again, the loneliness started to get to her. She curved her body in a fetal position on the couch as tears escaped through her closed eyes. She would have to find a way to be okay and get through the night alone like she had before. She tried going to sleep despite how scared she was being there in an open place. Suddenly, she felt something lean against the couch. She turned over and seen blond hair. Roxas had his back turned from Xion as he rested on the opposite end of the couch with his eyes closed. Xion's eyes widened. She sat up on her hand. She couldn't believe he was there. "Roxas…"

He didn't reply. He thought about going back, but he couldn't leave her there alone. More than that, he didn't really want to go home at all. Soon, Xion relaxed and lied back down on the couch. She wanted to tell him he could go, but she didn't want to be alone there anymore. She felt safer now that he was there. The two remained silence toward each other as the minutes passed. The whole time Xion felt bad for keeping Roxas there instead of going home. She decided the least she could do was owe him an explanation as to why. "Roxas I…" Her eyes lowered to a close. "…I have no home to go to. Once Saix saw that I was alone, he offered to let me join the organization in exchange for working whoever the leader is. He told me that I could sleep here as long as I did my part." Roxas remained quiet, but he continued to listen. Xion sighed. She couldn't read his reaction and wondered what he was thinking.

A few seconds later, Roxas moved and took his thick, black leather coat off. Xion watched surprised. He set his coat up like a pillow. Roxas placed his hands behind his head. Xion leaned over. "Roxas... You don't have to stay here. You have a warm bed and a home to go to. I'll be fine." Roxas turned his head from her as he closed his eyes. Guilt started to fill Xion. She didn't understand why he was doing this. "Roxas please-."

"I'm not going Xion." Roxas opened his eyes. He made his decision and he was going to stick to it. "I can't leave you here by yourself. What if something happened?"

She looked uneasy. "But I don't want to keep you from going home."

"No one would miss me," he replied coldly.

Xion lifted her eyes to him, concerned. "Why would no one miss you?"

Roxas didn't answer as he thought about his own home. He knew his step mom wouldn't notice if he was gone. Even if it was for days. "The point is I can't leave you here by yourself and I'm not changing my mind. You could get hurt out here."

Xion pressed her back against the couch as she looked up at the ceiling. Apart of her felt she should keep pushing him to go, but her need for someone to be there was greater. Deep down, she was grateful that he stayed. "Thank you."

Roxas looked back toward her. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm okay," she answered. As the night went on, they both slept. When morning came, they woke up okay, surviving one night there at the hideout. Xion looked over toward Roxas and smiled. She seemed better now that he was there.

* * *

Some time had passed after that night. Xion began to hang out more with Roxas and Axel. She got to know them better and they got to know a little bit about her. Now they spent their afternoons eating sea salt ice cream.

When it got late, the members of the organization started to head out, leaving Axel, Roxas, and Xion behind on the couch. Larxene noticed that Axel didn't coming with them. She placed her hands on her hips. "You're not coming either? It's about to get worse around here."

Axel relaxed back against the couch. "I'm leaving soon."

She smirked as she leaned her chin on the back of her hand. "Oh...! I see. Like hanging out with the kids, huh?"

Axel frowned. "Hey! I'm supposed to be looking after them!"

Larxene smirked at him. "Can't you take the night off from your pets? I think I got something better you can look after unless... they're going to follow you home."

Axel scratched the back of his head nervously as Roxas and Xion looked away. They all felt awkward at Larxene's forwardness. Axel looked toward them. Roxas crossed his arms. "Just go. I think we can take care of ourselves." Axel stood up and followed behind Larxene. Roxas and Xion stayed silence until they felt the awkwardness pass. Then, Roxas stood up and turned toward Xion. "There's a storm on the way. You think you'll be fine here."

Xion tried to hide her disappointment and worry, but it didn't work. "S-sure…" She nodded. "I understand. Well don't worry. Nothing has happened since we've been here so I should be fine."

Roxas stared at her as she looked down. All of a sudden, he heard rain pouring hard against the roof as thunder roared in the sky. There was already a leak coming from the roof. He couldn't just leave her there alone and things were supposed to get bad weather-wise tonight. He tried to think of another way he could look out for Xion. Then, Larxene's words came to mind as much as he didn't like to remember. Soon, an idea crossed his mind, but he thought it was too crazy. Then, he stared at Xion and wondered if the plan would work and what were the benefits of it. There were a lot he could think of. After a few minutes, he decided to go along with the idea. All it could do was help Xion more than anything. Above all, it would keep her safe. "Xion. Come with me."

Curious, she stood up. "Where are we going?"

Roxas gave her a nervous look. "We're…We're going to my house."

Xion stared at him shocked. "But- but I can't stay with you!"

"Yes you can. It…actually would be better this way. You can stay in my room. You'll have a blanket to keep you warm and food is there. You can even take a shower if you want."

Xion looked down, nervously. "But…what if we get caught? What if you get in trouble? It wouldn't be right for me to stay without your family knowing."

Roxas placed his hands on Xion's shoulders. "It's only for a short time until we can figure out what to do, but for now it would be easier this way." Xion lifted her head and stared into his eyes. It sounded a lot better than staying at the hideout, but how could she take advantage of him like this? Roxas grabbed her arm and pulled her along before she could argue against it.

* * *

As it continued to rain into the night, Roxas stepped inside of his room and opened the window. "Come on. The coast is clear." He helped Xion climb into the room and sat on the bed along with him. A part of the way, her foot became caught on the windowsill. She fell forward and landed softly against his chest. His fingers stayed intertwined with her for support. A moment later, she lifted her head. "Thank you," she whispered. Then, she looked down. "Oh! I'm sorry! I'm getting your bed wet-!"

He frowned. "Shh! If you're too loud, they'll hear you."

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. She let go of his hand. A small smile came to her lips. "Your hands…they feel warm still. I guess I held hands with you for the first time."

Roxas closed the window as he frowned. "Don't be weird…" Xion crawled off of the bed and looked around. His room was messy with his clothes, books, and paper on the floor. Roxas went over to his door and peeked out of it to see if anyone was around. The house seemed pretty dark like his room. He closed the door and went back to Xion. "You hungry?"

Xion placed her hand to her stomach. She could feel it growl once Roxas asked her. Her eyes lowered. Her guilt took over again. "Roxas… This isn't right. I shouldn't be taken advantage of you like this. I-."

Roxas looked back toward her with a serious stare. "Xion. You're not taking advantage. Think of it this way. Think of yourself as my guest. I invited you over and so you have to accept what I offered."

She thought he had a point. "I'll pay you back someday."

"So what do you want to first?" Xion didn't know what to say. Roxas looked down at her. "How about this? You can take a shower if you want, then you can eat. We can get your clothes washed too. You can't stay in those all the time."

Xion smiled, grateful. "Thank you Roxas…"

Afterwards, Roxas grabbed a few things and walked with Xion to the bathroom down the hall. Since it was quiet and everything was dark, Roxas assumed that his stepmother and Sora were asleep. Xion turned to him with the towels he gave her in her hands and smiled. Afterwards, he left her alone. After her shower, she ate what Roxas prepared and changed into some of his clothes that he gave her to sleep in. Roxas placed her clothes aside for now and planned to wash them as soon as he could. Roxas returned back to his room to see Xion sitting on his bed. Roxas sat beside her. She looked down. "Well…I guess I'll sleep on the floor." She slid off the bed.

"You don't have to. I could sleep here."

Xion sat on the floor. "It's okay. It's your room." She stretched out on the floor.

"You don't have to. It can't be comfortable."

Xion smiled. "Really. It's okay. You've done enough for me by letting me stay here tonight." Roxas sighed with his eyes closed. It didn't seem like she was going to give in. She really was stubborn. He tossed her a pillow and blanket. She smiled. "Good night Roxas."

He lied on his bed with hands behind his head. "Good night." Soon, the two of them fell asleep. Early the next morning, Roxas woke up before anyone else did and washed Xion's clothes for her to wear. She left before anyone saw her as Roxas headed off to school.

* * *

The next few nights, Xion wanted to stay in the hideout, but Roxas refused to let her to. It seemed the new routine he introduced her to was working. She slept against the floor of room until it started to hurt her arm from sleeping on it. That night, Roxas sat up in his bed. He couldn't let it go on much longer. On the floor below, she seemed uncomfortable and she was shivering. He held out his hand. "Come on Xion."

She looked at him as she sat up. After a few seconds, she took his hand and gave in. She was too tired and in too much pain to say no. She sat down beside him. She felt a little nervous. She slept in the same room as him before, but not this close. "Um?"

"Don't worry about it."

She nodded. "Right." She lied down closer to the window away from him. Roxas lied down on his back and placed his hands behind his head. Xion put her arms underneath her head. "You know…I've been wondering something Roxas."

He looked over toward her. "Yeah."

She looked down. "You told me something one time. That no one would miss you. What did you mean by that?" Roxas breathed out a little. He was silence toward her. Xion looked back curious. "Roxas?"

He turned on his side toward her. "I guess…" His eyes lowered as he thought back. "It's silly."

"No." She smiled for comfort. He opened his eyes to see her smile toward him. "I'm sure it's not."

He looked down. "My stepmom wouldn't notice that I was gone even if it was a month. She pays more attention to my brother. She cares more about him. She wouldn't miss me. No one else would either."

Xion looked sympathetic. "I'm sure if you just see for yourself, you would know that it's not true." Her eyes drifted up toward the window. "You see you're lucky. You still have your stepmom and brother." Roxas breathed out. He knew that she had been through a lot. Without thinking, his head leaned on against her back as he closed his eyes. "She's always doing stuff for my brother. I think she resents me because of someone we both know."

She looked over toward him and smiled. "Roxas… if anyone would miss you…it would be me."

He was a little surprised at her. Xion smiled nervously, wondering how she must've sounded to him. Silence grew between them. Xion closed her eyes as she lied toward him. Roxas stared at her surprised. They had only known each other for a short time, but it sounded as if she cared for him. Then, his eyes traveled to the side. She probably only cared because he was helping her. He still wasn't sure why he did, but deep down, he really wanted to help her. Across from him, he noticed her soft breathing with her eyes closed. She must've fallen asleep already. He watched as she did. There was no doubts, no regrets about what he did for her. He would continue to help her as long as he could. It wasn't long before he fell asleep as well.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update as soon as I can!_


	31. The Runaways: The Past Part 2

_**Author's Notes:** Hi everyone! Thanks for adding this to your favorites and alerts and sending in reviews! Sorry about the late update! It took some time for me to get this part done, but I should be getting back to weekly updates again soon. Please enjoy the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 30: The Past Part 2:_

The morning sun shined brightly through the window. Slowly, Roxas opened his eyes as he was awoken by the rays. He let out a groan. As much as he didn't want to, he sat up. When he stepped outside of his room, he noticed that the house was quiet. He searched around. There was no sign of his stepmother or his brother Sora, but he did wonder where a certain raven-haired girl went. Could she have already left? He left from the kitchen and headed to the bathroom. "Xion?" He opened the door. "Xion-?" He stopped in place as his eyes widened at the next sight.

In front of him, her eyes widened as well. Red crossed her cheeks as she quickly covered her body with her arms as best as she could. Embarrassed, she closed her eyes tight. "R-Roxas?!" '

He turned his head away from her as he was somewhat nervous himself. "Sorry… It was quiet so I wasn't sure if you left yet or not."

Quickly, she wrapped a towel around her. "And I thought you would be in school by now! Please knock next time!" Fluttered and unable to look him in the eye, she slipped past him. Roxas let out a sigh. He still wasn't used to having another girl in the house, especially one he looked after.

A few minutes, after he was done with the bathroom, he returned back to his bedroom. Xion was already sitting on his bed, dressed. Still embarrassed, she looked away from him as she blushed. He sighed. He didn't think it was a big deal. He sat down beside her on the bed. "Listen…it's not a big deal. Actually, it lets me know that you staying here is a good thing."

A look of confusion appeared. "Why?"

He poked her arm. "You don't look the same. I think you finally gain some weight."

Xion sighed with her eyes closed. That was the last thing she wanted to hear. "Thanks…"

He became curious by her dull tone. "What? Isn't that a good thing?"

"Maybe that's not something you want to mention to a girl..." She fiddled with her fingers in her lap. "It might sound like a bad thing."

He was surprised that she took it negatively. "I think it's fine if it's on you."

A concerned look came on her face. It had been some time since he hidden her from his family and let her stay in his room. "You've been so nice to me…" She shook her head. "I've stayed here for too long."

Roxas shrugged. "Who cares? Aren't you glad that you don't have to sleep in the hideout?"

"Of course!" She sighed with her eyes closed. She was grateful for that, but she didn't want to get him into trouble. She placed her hair behind her ear. "Still…I'm taking advantage of you…your family…"

"So what? You need to eat and you can stay here as long as you want," he assured her.

Xion turned her head to him. "You never answered why you keep doing this."

His eyes traveled toward the side as he thought. "Maybe… I just felt sorry for you."

Disappointed, her eyes lowered. "Oh…"

He arched his eyebrow. "What else did you think it was?"

She lifted her eyes to him, sincere. "I thought it was because…we were friends."

He stared at her curious. _"Friends huh…?"_ It seemed that he did spend most of his time with Xion and sometimes Axel too, but he didn't think about it much. Did it mean that they were friends? He was usually someone that kept to himself, but he became a little more open to Xion and she knew him better than anyone.

"You know… Maybe you're right." She caught his attention. Sad, her eyes traveled down. "We're not really friends. Friends are people who give in return. Not someone who just takes…"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "You really are too hard on yourself..."

She pressed her fist against her chest. "But it's true! I've only been taking advantage of you!" She turned more toward him. "I want to do whatever I can to make it up to you. Just name it."

He frowned. "I told you don't talk like that."

Her eyes lowered. "Sorry…"

As something else came to mind, he looked over toward the door. "We need to be a little more careful about how much you use around here. My stepmom is starting to get suspicious."

Xion nodded. Then, she looked curious. "Shouldn't you go to school now?"

"It's fine. Let's just go. Maybe there's another mission we can do today." She looked down uneasy, which he noticed. "What is it?"

Her hands curled in her lap. "What we do in the organization…it isn't right. Maybe…we shouldn't anymore."

He looked serious. "If you don't, then how are you going to take care of yourself? You can't stay here forever."

"I know…" She knew he was right. She was stuck in a tough situation.

Roxas stood up from his bed. He placed his hands in his pockets as he looked back at her. "Come on. Let's get going." After he got ready, the two headed out. They spent the morning until the afternoon walking around and visiting the market. There weren't many people around and knew there wasn't much to do since the others were in school. As they looked around, a heavy set man with an apron on noticed them and watched them curious. "Hey! Shouldn't you kids be in school?"

Roxas frowned toward the shopkeeper. "Let us worry about that." Afterwards, he turned and walked away. Xion rushed behind him. The shopkeeper frowned and then turned back toward his shop.

Later into the afternoon, they headed to the hideout. Inside, they spotted Axel on the couch with his arm lying on the back of it in his school uniform. He smiled once he saw them. "Hey! You two made it!" Roxas and Xion stopped in front of him. "I thought you two would end up spending the day inside again."

"We got bored in my room so we decided to walk around for a while," Roxas replied.

Larxene headed over as she let out a smirk. She overheard their conversation and became interested. She placed her finger near her lips. "Wow…! I didn't know the two of you were like that... Well that didn't take long." She nudged Xion with her elbow. "You were just playing quiet this whole time, huh? I didn't think you had it in you to sleep with a guy as soon as you first meet him."

Xion gave her a nervous look as she held up her hands. Larxene was getting the wrong idea about her. Roxas frowned toward Larxene. "It's not like that."

Larxene waved her hand as she walked away. "Sure… Whatever…" she sounded as if she didn't believe them.

As soon as she left, Saix walked in and went over to them. "Roxas. Xion. I have another assignment for you."

Roxas looked serious. "Is it another test? I think we proved ourselves by now."

"Once you do this, we'll actually give you something better to do. More like what the organization actually does. You can start tomorrow. Then, we can discuss what else you can do." After Saix explained what to do next, he left the three alone. Deep down, their next assignment worried Xion. It wasn't something she wanted to be a part of…

After a few hours, sunset was upon them. Xion followed behind Roxas along the dirt road as she stared down. She was still concerned over what they had to do tomorrow. She couldn't hold it inside any longer. "Roxas…"

He stopped and looked behind him. "What is it Xion?"

At first, she wasn't sure about telling him her concerns, but she was worried about him most of all. "What Saix asked us to do tomorrow…it's too risky. We could get in a lot of trouble for this."

Roxas gave her a look of assurance. "If you don't feel comfortable with it, then don't."

"But I don't think you should do it either! I know you want to be a part of the organization, but…" She grabbed onto her arm as she looked down. "I heard some things…about what they actually do." Then, she lifted her head to him. "They really do some bad things to other people." Uneasy, her eyes shifted to the side . "I heard that…some people have gotten hurt and that some of the members actually carry some dangerous stuff. Stuff that could get you in serious trouble. I don't want you to get taken away."

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Listen. I'll be fine. If you don't want to do it, then don't. It's not too late."

There was a pleading look in her eyes. "But…I don't want to leave you behind!"

For a moment, he turned silent. For some reason, her words struck deep. His eyes lowered as a memory came to mind. He turned away from her and started walking. His expression turned cold. "You wouldn't be the first…" Xion stood still as she was taken aback by his words. What did he mean by that? Even if she asked, she doubt that he would be open enough to tell her.

The next afternoon, Roxas headed toward the market as Xion followed behind him. He looked back at her serious. "I told you before you don't have to come with me."

She looked a little determined. She had made up her mind about today. "No. I'm not going to leave this just up to you. I'll be by your side." Even though she knew this was wrong, she was still willing to stick by his side. A look of surprise appeared on his face. He wondered if she would really be ready for today. Once they were set to go, they slipped money and products of high cash amounts into the backpacks that they carried. "All right. One more thing on the list to go. I got it." Roxas nodded toward her and went ahead. Xion grabbed the last thing they needed and placed it in her bag.

Before she took off, suddenly, she felt her arm grabbed. Scared, she looked back. What if she had already been caught? When she looked up, she saw the owner of the shop stare down at her curious. "Young lady! May I see you for second?"

Worried, she snatched her arm away and took off running. "Hey!"

Xion caught up with Roxas. Her eyes were wide and frantic as she rushed toward him. "Run!"

The owner ran out of the shop. "Hey! Someone stop them!"

Roxas's eyes widened and took off. They ran through the crowd. Suddenly, Xion felt the back of shirt grabbed. Quickly, she felt her body flung and pressed against the ground as she closed her eyes tight. When she looked back, she saw a man dressed in a police uniform. Roxas stopped, scared. "Xion-!"

"Just go!" Apart of him wanted to stay, but he saw the pleading look in her eyes. "Please! Just go! I'll be fine!"

The officer made her stand up and pinned her hands behind her. He looked over at Roxas. "Stop right there!" As much as it pained him to, Roxas ran and disappeared into the crowd. He pressed down on his teeth. Deep down, he was angry at himself for not stepping in. He hoped that she would be all right on her own...

Later, Xion sat in a chair inside of a windowless, small room as she stared down. The officer opened the door and stepped back into the room. He sat down in front of her with a look of concern. In the end, she was just an underage kid. "Listen…what you did was wrong, but since you didn't take that much and you haven't been down here before, we can let you go into the custody of your parents. Just give me their number and I'll call them." Xion looked toward the side uneasy. She couldn't tell him that she was a runaway. The officer stared at her curious. "Is there anyone that I can call for you?"

She kept her eyes away from him. "No," she finally answered.

The officer sighed. "I have to call someone. Until then, you'll have to wait here." Afterwards, he stood up and walked away. For now, she was stuck with no way out...

* * *

Inside of the hideout, Roxas's fist baled and banged against the handle of the chair. "I shouldn't have left her behind!"

Axel looked a little concerned. "It's all right. I'm sure she'll be fine. They'll probably just give her a slap on the wrist."

Roxas pressed on his teeth. "Still…"

Axel was worried about Xion too, but wished that Roxas wouldn't be so hard on himself. "If she told you to go, she probably did it to protect you." Roxas's eyes lowered, disappointed. He knew Xion felt like she owed him, but was it really worth this...? Axel relaxed against the couch. "There's no use worrying. We won't know what happens until it does. I guess we'll have to report this to the others."

"No!" Axel looked over concerned as Roxas looked anxious. "Don't tell anybody about what happened. They might decide to kick Xion out if they do."

Axel understood. "Relax. I won't."

All of a sudden, they heard a giggle. Axel turned his head surprised as Roxas looked over, on edge. Larxene stepped out with a smirk on her face. "Larxene? How long have you been there?" Axel asked curious.

"I just got here." Then, she leaned in toward Roxas as she smirked. "So…? Where's your little girlfriend? Didn't you guys have that big mission today…?"

Roxas growled. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her today. "Stop playing around!"

Larxene stood up straight and turned around. She waved her hand as she walked away from them. "Fine…Don't tell me." The two of them wondered whether or not she heard what they were talking about...

* * *

Later that afternoon, Xion was led by the officer to a small house. He knocked on the door. Soon, a couple emerged. Once they saw them, they looked surprised. Inside, they sat down at the table. "I believe that this girl was supposed to be under your care."

The middle-aged brunette woman with her hair tied in a bun looked surprised. "Y-Yes! We were supposed to foster her, but she never showed up. Is she in some kind of trouble?"

The officer waved his hand down to calm her. "We can let it slide now that she's in your care."

The woman bowed her head, grateful. "Thank you officer."

The officer smiled and headed toward the door. He took one last look at Xion and smiled with a warning. "Don't get into too much trouble again or else you won't be as lucky."

After he left, Xion turned face to face with her two caretakers. For a moment, they were silent as they stared at each other. All of a sudden, the woman let out a frown and raised her hand. She slapped Xion, which made her turn her head. "Where have you been?! You were supposed to show a long time ago! If someone came to check on you, we would've been the ones in trouble!" Xion lowered her head as she stared down. The woman's frown deepened. "I guess we better get you settled in…" She turned away from her. "I'll show you where you'll be staying." Reluctantly, Xion followed the wife and husband to her new room.

* * *

Roxas headed back home. He hurried to see if Xion was released and back in his room yet, but was stopped by a voice as soon as he entered the house. "Roxas!" When he looked over, he saw the deep-set frown on his stepmother's face. "Where have you been?!"

He frowned back. "Nowhere."

Frustrated, she stepped closer. "Obviously you've been hanging around somewhere and it sure hasn't been school! I got a call today and they said that you've been skipping days! So where have you been?!"

"I haven't been anywhere!" he argued back.

While the two fought, Sora stepped inside uneasy. He could hear their argument from outside. It was no secret that they didn't get along, but he wished they would try. He held up his hand. "Hi!"

Both his mother and Roxas stopped for a second and looked over, before they turned their attention back to each other. "I told you that I haven't been anywhere!"

"Listen! As long as you live under my roof, you will do as I say!"

Roxas waved his hand off to the side. "Whatever… You don't even want me here." He walked off toward his room.

"I'm not done yet!" When he checked his room, he saw that it was empty. It didn't seem as if Xion came back at all. Suddenly, he felt someone grab his arm. His eyes met with the stern glare of his stepmother's. "Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you! You will start going back to school or else!"

He snatched his arm away. "You'll kick me out?"

"Show a little gratitude! I didn't have to take you in!"

"I didn't ask for any of this! I'm only here because _he_ brought me here! I'll go back home!"

Before he could walk into his room, her next words made him stop in place. "There is no home for you to go back to! Your mother is gone!" Angry, Roxas pressed down on his teeth. He slammed the door closed. He frustrated her to no end. Nearby, Sora watched as the argument played out. It seemed like they would never get along...

* * *

The next few days seemed to pass slowly. As Roxas walked through the school hall, his eyes stayed glued to the ground. More and more, he was worried because he hadn't heard or seen Xion. He wondered what happened to her and if she was all right...

"Hey! Roxas!" Roxas lifted his head and saw Axel head toward him as he smiled.

Roxas looked a little concerned. "Have you heard from Xion at all?"

Axel scratched the back of his head. "No…I haven't heard from her since you told me what happened."

Roxas's eyes lowered. "Hmm…" He really hoped that she was all right.

Axel playfully hit his back. "Don't worry. I'm sure she's fine."

Roxas's eyes traveled toward the side uneasy. "That's what you keep saying…" Then, he glanced out of the window. Once he did, a surprised look came on his face. Down below, outside, he spotted Xion in front of a girl with scarlet red hair and blue eyes. He turned more toward the window. He couldn't believe it. He was surprised to see her in a school uniform.

Axel became curious once he noticed his expression. "What?"

"It's Xion…" he spoke stunned. "She's here."

Axel looked down surprised. "You're right. Why do you think she didn't tell us that she was okay?"

"I don't know…" Roxas sounded puzzled.

Axel arched his eyebrow as he noticed the other girl with her. "Looks like she's made a new friend."

"Yeah. I see her around from time to time." Roxas watched as the two talked. "Her name is Kairi. She's my brother's girlfriend."

Axel smirked, interested. "Really…" He looked over at Roxas. "So? Are we going to go down and talk to her?" Before Roxas answered, they heard the warning bell ring for their first class. Axel shrugged and walked off. "I guess we'll have to wait until later then." As Roxas stared down, he wondered why Xion hadn't come to see him…

Later that afternoon, Xion walked next to Kairi when she heard a voice call out to her. "Xion!" Both of them looked back surprised. Roxas caught up with the two of them. The scarlet haired girl placed her hands behind her back as she smiled. "Oh! Roxas!" Kairi noticed the two stare at each other without saying a word. She became curious. "So...? How do you and Xion know each other?"

"We met not too long enough." Then, Roxas turned his attention to Kairi. "How do you two know each other?"

Kairi looked over at Xion and smiled. "One of the teachers asked if I could show Xion around and we've been friends ever since."

Xion looked curious at them. "How do you two know each other?"

"I know Kairi because she's my brother's girlfriend," Roxas answered.

Xion looked surprised. "Sora? Oh! So that's who you were looking for before?"

Kairi's cheeks flooded with red as she became flustered. "Y-Yeah. I've been meaning to tell you, but it's only recently that we got together."

Roxas placed his hand on his hip. "I'm surprised. I thought Sora would be shouting it from the rooftops by now, but he hadn't mention it yet either."

Nervously she rubbed the back of her head. "W-we were planning on telling everyone."

"You guys just got together so it's only natural that you would want your privacy before everyone starts calling you lovebirds all the time, if they weren't already," Roxas said.

Kairi smiled. "Thanks for being understanding."

"Do you mind if I talk to Xion alone?"

Kairi blinked surprised "Oh…! Sure!" She smiled at the two of them. "That would give me a chance to go find Sora." Afterwards, she walked away as she waved. "See you guys tomorrow!"

Roxas and Xion turned and walked beside each other. Once they got further away from school, Roxas turned his head toward Xion. "Why didn't you tell me you were all right?! What happened?!"

Xion looked down concerned. "I'm sorry... I've been meaning to talk to you, but things have been hectic the last few days."

A curious look came on his face. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes traveled down. "I never told you this, but…I was never really homeless. I always had someone waiting for me. When I was taken down to the station, I was brought back to my foster family."

He stared at her, stunned. "This whole time… you actually had a family you could go back to, but you just chose to sleep in the hideout or at my house?!"

Nervously, she lifted her eyes to him. "Are you mad...?"

He shook his head as he was calm. "No."

Her eyes traveled along the ground. "The truth is... I wasn't ready to go to my next foster family."

His eyebrow raised. "Next?"

She nodded. "Yes. I've been moving from foster home to foster home ever since my mother died." Roxas's eyes widened. It seemed something she said had triggered him. "The latest one has been really strict on me, especially since I didn't come to them when I was supposed to. They were pretty angry when I finally showed up. Everyday they want me to be home by a certain time. I don't want to make them more upset. "

Roxas looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

She nodded to assure him. "I'm all right."

"Well…" Curious, his eyes traveled back to her. "Do you have time…to get some ice cream?"

A few moments after, Xion let out a small smile. "Sure."

Later, the two sat near the beach as they ate sea-salt ice cream. As they sat, a lot of things crossed his mind that he felt he needed to get off of his chest. "I made sure no one in the organization knew what happened." He waited for her to respond, but she remained quiet. "I'm sorry... I should've been back there with you."

"I told you to run so that you wouldn't get in trouble too," Xion said.

"Why?" Roxas asked surprised. It sounded as if she had no regrets about what happened.

"You've done so much for me that…I just wanted to do something for you in return."

He pressed his hand against his chest. "You don't have to do that! I would've been fine! It's you I'm worried about."

She smiled a little. "There was no point in both of us getting in trouble. What's done is done. Besides… you don't need to worry about me anymore. I'm okay now." Roxas looked uneasy. Then, Xion leaned in surprised. "Oh! What do you have there?"

Roxas looked down at his hand. When he lifted it, he saw a seashell. "Oh! I didn't realize that was there." He picked it up and held it up in front of them.

"It's pretty."

He held it over toward her. "Here. Keep it."

Xion smiled and held it in her hand. "Thank you." She stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Sorry, but I have to head back now." She smiled. "We'll hang out again sometime."

"Sure." Roxas watched as she walked away. It seemed like things wouldn't be like they were before. Later that afternoon, he went home and lied on his bed. It felt strange now that she wasn't there with him. No longer did he had to watch over her. It made him a little sad…

* * *

Some time had passed. One afternoon, inside of the hideout, Larxene pointed toward Roxas who sat on the couch. "So? Where's your little friend? She hasn't been around lately. Has she up and ditched up?"

Roxas looked upset. "No!"

Saix stepped nearby in front of Axel. "That's actually a good question. We let her into the organization only to have her disappear on us."

Axel waved his hand. "I'm sure that Xion will be back. Just give it some time."

Saix looked serious. "If you don't, I'll just get someone else to bring her back. She might know a little more about the organization that we care for her to know."

Larxene smirked as she waved her knife. "Well…if you guys can't do it, then I'll have the fun of doing it myself."

"You guys don't have anything to worry about," Axel assured them. Inside, Roxas was worried. If Xion didn't come back, she could be in serious trouble…

* * *

Xion smiled as she sat across from Kairi at a table, outside of a restaurant. "Really? You don't have to keep doing this!"

Kairi smiled back. "Really I don't mind. I'm having a lot of fun. I've gotten to know you a lot better since you've enrolled in school. These have been a fun few months."

Xion glanced between the table and Kairi nervously as she smiled. "Thanks. It's been nice with you too."

"You know? I haven't heard you talk much about your family or where you're from."

Xion's eyes lowered. She decided to let out what she had been holding back from her. "The truth is…I don't really have a family…"

Kairi's eyes widened surprised. "What?"

Uneasy, Xion looked toward the side. It wasn't easy to talk about. "Right now, I'm living with a foster family. So it's either wait to be adopted or until I'm old enough to be out on my own." She placed her head on her hand. "If I just wait a few years, I'll be free to take care of myself."

Kairi looked concerned. "But that's still a long wait and to do it on your own once you're free…? It'll be hard."

"Let's face it. No one is going to adopt someone older like me." Then, she noticed that Kairi seemed worried. She smiled to assure her she was fine. "Sorry…I didn't mean to bring the conversation down."

Kairi pressed on her lips before she breathed out. "The truth is…I'm adopted too."

Xion stared at her surprised. "You are?"

"It was when I was younger. I don't remember much, but at first, it was just me and my grandmother, but after she passed, I moved to the island and I was adopted by the mayor and his wife. They really wanted a child. It wasn't long before my sister Namine was adopted too."

Xion was surprised to hear that, but glad that things worked out. "That's good!" Then, Xion stood up. "Sorry…but I have to go. I have to get back."

The two walked along the dirt road. Kairi looked concerned as she was lost in thought. Then she looked over at Xion. "Hey Xion?"

Xion turned her head curious. "Hm?"

"Are you…happy with the family you have now?"

Xion looked toward the ground, a little uneasy. "I know I should be grateful to them for taking me in, but… not really… They foster a lot of other children so it's crowded and they are a bit harsh... I just wish I could find a permanent place to call home. Somewhere where I can be happy."

Kairi's eyes traveled along the ground. After they parted ways, Kairi returned home lost in thought still. "Kairi?" her mother called out to her. Afterwards, she lifted her head and saw her parents in the living room. Her fist baled at her side. It was then that her mind was made up...

* * *

A few days later, Roxas went inside of the hideout. Across from him, he saw Axel sitting on the couch. "Still nothing from Xion?"

Roxas shook her head. "I haven't had a chance to talk to her."

Axel stretched his arm across the top of the couch. "Saix keeps asking question along with some of the other members. If she doesn't show up soon, they probably will take matters into her own hands." Roxas's eyes lowered. It seemed that things were headed for the worse…

* * *

Some distance away, Xion stared down nervously as she sat on a nice white couch. Her fingers fidgeted in her lap, on the nice dress she borrowed from Kairi. Today would possibly be a big day. Kairi walked over toward her and smiled. "Don't be so nervous. They're really nice people." Xion breathed in a little and relaxed herself. Kairi sat down beside her for support.

Soon, Kairi's parents sat across from her and greeted Xion with a smile. "Hello," her mother spoke first.

Her father's smile widened. "You must be Xion."

The fidgeting with her fingers became worse. "Y-Yes…!"

Kairi's mother smiled gently. "Now…Tell us about yourself."

Nervously, Xion grabbed the top of her hand tight. It was so nerve racking to make a good first impression. What if she messed up along the way? What if she would lose her chance? Then, she felt another hand go on top of hers. When she lifted her eyes, she saw Kairi's comforting smile. Silently, she was cheering her on. Xion relaxed a little and bowed her head as she closed her eyes. "Thank you for letting me into your home! I promise not to cause any trouble! I don't take up much space and I'll be out as soon as I can! I won't let you down!"

The two parents glanced at each other and then looked nervous. "Please relax. We want to get to know you a little better first. We honestly want to hear what's on your mind," Kairi's mother replied. Xion lifted her head. She remained calm as she spoke with the three of them.

* * *

 _The third part of the past will be posted next week! Thanks for reading!_


	32. The Runaways: The Past Part 3

_**Author's Notes:**_ _Thank you for keeping up with the story! This is the last flashback chapter of the series. As a warning, things do get a little violent...  
_

* * *

 _The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 31: The Past Part 3:_

"Xion!" Xion turned around in the hall surprised. Roxas caught up with her as he breathed out. Finally he got the chance to see her again.

She greeted him with a smile. "Hey Roxas."

He stood up straight as he looked worried. "Xion! Listen-!"

"I have something to tell you as well," she sounded a little excited.

At that moment, Roxas became curious. "What is it?"

A grin came on her face. She genuinely seemed happy. "Guess what?! I found a family who will adopt me!"

Roxas's eyes widened, surprised. "Really…?" Xion nodded in response. "Who is it?"

"It's Kairi's family. She put in a good word for me and they agreed to let me be a part of their family," she replied.

Roxas still looked stunned. "Kairi did that…for you?" Xion nodded. Inside, he was glad that Xion was happy and grateful for Kairi's help, but still a little worried at the same time. "You seem... really happy."

"I am." Gently, Xion smiled. "Thank you Roxas." A surprised look came on his face. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have made it this far. You watched out for me and I'll always be grateful for that. Now my new life can begin."

He smiled a little. "I'm glad."

"Now. What did you want to tell me?"

Apart of him pushed to warn her about the organization, but she seemed so happy that he didn't want to take that away from her. For now, he wanted her to have her moment. "It's-It's nothing."

She looked surprised. It sounded important. "Are you sure?"

Roxas nodded. "Yeah."

"All right then…" Xion turned and walked away.

As she did, he felt on edge. _"Xion… I won't let them hurt you."_ He baled his fist at his side. _"I'll be the one to protect you if I have to."_

* * *

As Xion walked home from school alone, she heard a voice behind her. "Hey there!" Demyx waved toward her. When she looked back, Larxene, Demyx, and Marluxia walked over to her.

Larxene smirked. "Well…look who we have here. We haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been? You haven't been back."

Xion looked down uneasy. "I've just been busy that's all."

Marluxia put his finger under his chin. "Too busy to hang out with us? You've been missing a lot of work." Xion continued walking, but the group stopped in front of her. "It's not that easy just to walk away. Are you still in or are you choosing to walk away?"

As she stared at them, she thought about the new life she didn't want to mess up. Then, she shook her head. "No." The others were surprised with her answer. "No. I don't want to be a part of this anymore. I won't tell anything about you guys, but now, I want out."

Demyx leaned forward and waved his finger. "You can't just leave the organization."

Xion looked determined. "I've made up my mind. I'll tell Saix that I'm leaving." Afterwards, she walked away.

Marluxia looked impressed. "She's brave. I wonder what will happen next."

Larxene pouted. "There's no way that she'll be able to leave just like that."

* * *

Sometime later, Roxas walked into the hideout. In the corner, he noticed Xion speaking to Saix privately. He stepped over toward Axel. "What's going on? Why is Xion talking to Saix?"

Axel crossed his arms. "Xion is getting out. She's not going to be a part of the organization anymore." Roxas reacted with surprised.

After she was done, Xion walked over to them and smiled a little. "I guess I'll be off them."

Axel scratched the back of his head a little sad. "That's too bad."

Roxas became more concerned about her leaving. "Xion…"

Xion smiled to assure them. "Don't worry. We're still friends so we'll see each other."

Uneasy, Roxas nodded. "Yeah…" She gave him one last smile before she turned and walked away.

Axel watched as she left. "I guess that's it."

As Roxas watched Xion, he debated whether or not to go after her. Still worried, he decided to go after her. Then, Saix stepped in front of him with a serious look on his face. "Now that we're down one member and you've proven yourself, it's time that we let you in on what we really do and it will be up to our number one to decide if he would like you to stay. You better prepare yourself." Afterwards, he walked away. Roxas seemed unsure, but ready.

* * *

Later that night, Larxene stood in front of Saix, angry. She threw her hand toward the side. "You just let her leave?!"

"That's what she wanted."

She glared as she growled though her teeth. "But nobody gets out of the organization!"

"She's not a threat we need to deal with. She doesn't know anything about our operations. Even if someone questioned her, what would she tell them? The only thing she could tell about is here and there's nothing that can link us to what the master is doing." He walked away. "It's not a matter we need to concern ourselves with anymore." Larxene pressed down on her teeth. How could he let Xion go so easily?

After Larxene left the hideout, she returned home. As soon as she stepped inside, she heard a voice, "And where have you've been?!" When she lifted her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the beer bottle in hand. Then, she lifted her eyes to the man in front of her she called her father. Already, she could see the anger in his eyes. She knew what would come next...

* * *

The next day, Xion walked alone in the crowd, in the school hallway. Then, she felt a shoulder bump into hers. "Sorry…"

"Watch it!"

When Xion looked over, she saw that it was Larxene. Larxene frowned toward her. Then, Xion noticed the bruise on her arm. "What happened to you?"

Larxene pulled her sleeve down as she looked toward the side. "Mind your own business. What do you care?" Xion became uneasy and concerned. "So you must be feeling pretty happy… You get to get out of the organization without any sort of punishment. Why did you leave in the first place?"

Xion smiled a little. "I was adopted by a family and they're really nice."

Larxene looked curious. "Huh? Who would want you?"

"The mayor and his wife decided to adopt me. Now I get to have a real family."

Larxene arched her eyebrow. "So that's why you decided to up and leave us? You get a new fancy family and everything you want. So you think you're better?"

Xion waved her hands nervous. "No! Of course not!"

Larxene glared toward her. "You just show up out of nowhere, you got to join whenever you want, and when you're done with it, you can leave whenever you want! Whatever... I guess you get whatever you want. We all can't be as lucky as you."

Xion was worried that she got the wrong idea. She didn't mean to make it sound like a brag. "It's not like that." Afterwards, Larxene turned and walked away as she was angry. It wasn't fair that Xion got the fairytale ending. It wasn't fair that she got to make whatever choice she wanted. She pressed on her teeth harder. It just wasn't fair...

* * *

Later that night, Larxene went to Saix angry. Saix turned toward her. "What is it?"

She baled her fist. "I still don't think you should've let her get off that easy."

"I told you she wasn't a threat."

"And what if I told you she was?" She could see she had his attention. "I overheard the others talking. There are things they aren't telling you about her _like_ the fact that she was taken in by a police officer for shoplifting or the fact that she actually does know the business we're into. She may not know where we're shipping the goods, but she at least knows what we're selling."

Saix looked serious. "So what do you propose to do?"

"She did leave the organization so she should be punished. We can make sure that she doesn't say anything at all."

Saix took a moment before he spoke. "Do whatever you want. Just don't cause a scene for the organization or we'll deal with you too."

A smirk curved at her lips. "Understood."

Once the others returned to the hideout, Larxene met in front of Axel, Zexion, Marluxia and Demyx. She explained her plan to get Xion. "So that's the idea."

Demyx gave a nervous stare. "That seems a little cruel Larxene."

Casually, Larxene waved her hand. "We're just trying to scare her a little. It's punishment for trying to leave. That's all."

Marluxia sighed with his eyes closed as he leaned his head on his hand. "Just leave it alone."

Larxene frowned. "Then don't help! Just know if you or anyone else gets in my way, then don't get mad if I end up hurting you too." She held up her knives between her fingers. "We'll do it later in the afternoon all right?" As Axel listened, he became worried. It sounded as Larxene would do something terrible…

Afterwards, they walked out of the hideout as Roxas headed toward it. He looked surprised. "You guys are done already?" He gave them an interested look. "What's going on?"

Axel gave him an uneasy look. What would Roxas do if he found out what Larxene was up to? Larxene leaned in toward him. "We were making plans to visit your little friend."

Confusion became written on Roxas's face. "My friend?"

"Yeah. No one leaves the organization and gets away with it, so Saix gave us the go ahead to handle things," Larxene answered.

Roxas's eyes widened. "What?! When?!"

Larxene waved her finger. "I don't think I should tell you because you'll just get in the way, since you care about her so much. Just so you know, if you try to stop me, I will make you regret it just like her."

Roxas glared toward her. "If you do anything to Xion, I'll-!"

Larxene grabbed onto his chin as she grinned deviously. "You're not going to do anything. I would stay out of this if I were you." She let go of him and walked away. Roxas baled his fists at his sides tight. Axel watched him worried that Roxas would try something risky...

* * *

The next day, Axel stared down with his hand in his pockets. What should he do? He knew he needed to warn Xion, but he hadn't had a chance to see her yet. He needed to warn her of what Larxene was planning and he had to find someway to stop it. "Axel!" He lifted his head as he snapped out of his thoughts. Roxas caught up with him in the hallway and stared at him anxious and worried. "You have to tell me! When are they going to attack Xion?! I have to know so I can stop it!" At first, Axel didn't response. "Axel!"

Axel looked toward the side. "I don't know..." His body became tense. _"If I tell him, he'll try to stop it and I don't want him to get hurt by Larxene and the others. I need to figure this out sooner than later."_

"I know Larxene would tell you! You have to tell me where?!"

Axel knew that Roxas would try whatever he could to find out. He relented. It was better if he handled it. "Fine. I know the address, but you have to be careful."

Roxas nodded. "I will."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Xion walked out of school and Larxene caught up with her. "Hey! Hey..."

Xion looked surprised. "Larxene?"

She smiled a little. "Listen… Sorry about how I acted yesterday. I was in a really bad mood, so I would like to make it up to you."

"You…You don't have to-."

Larxene wrapped her arm around her. "It's all right. This won't take long at all." The two left from school grounds and headed back to the hideout. They both sat down on the couch. "Welcome to your going away party." Marluxia, Demyx, and Zexion soon surrounded her. Larxene held up her knife. "Now... If you're going to get out of the organization, you're going to have to do it the hard way." At that moment, Xion looked worried...

* * *

Outside, the skies were dark. Rain looked as if it would pour from the skies at any second. Roxas ran to the address that Axel told him. When he went to the warehouse, he saw that it was empty. He stood stunned. _"No…I couldn't have been too late or did…"_ His eyes widened. He remembered how Axel acted when he asked where Larxene would attack Xion. _"What if he told me the wrong address...?"_

* * *

In the hideout, the others poked and pushed Xion around. Then, she fell on the floor. Larxene smirked as she put her finger to her chin. "So…? You still want to get out of the organization now?" Xion pressed down on her teeth worried. She tried to run, but then Larxene grabbed onto her backpack. Xion struggled and managed to slip out of the straps. "Hey!" Larxene reached for her. The knife in her hand slashed through her shirt. Xion grabbed onto her arm, but saw there was no blood. Quickly, she got up and ran.

Outside, the rain poured as Xion continued to run. It seemed she had gotten away from Larxene for now. Suddenly, she saw Larxene slip from behind a house and run out in front of her. She grabbed her arm. Xion tried to escape from her, but Larxene pushed her to the ground. Xion looked over and saw another her rip in shirt, but she wasn't hurt. Larxene kneeled down and grabbed her shirt. "Looks like I missed again." She smirked as she came up with an idea. "I know what will fix that." She used her knife to rip through her clothes. Xion grabbed onto her hand in an attempt to stop her, but it was a struggle. Larxene ripped through her buttoned-up shirt, then skirt and what was left underneath. After Larxene was done, Xion's bare body lied curled against the muddy ground. "Oops…! Maybe I went a little too far. Oh well…" Larxene placed the tip of the knife against Xion's arm and slowly formed a short, red line on her arm. Xion closed her eyes tight and subdued her cries in her throat. "That one shouldn't have hurt as much. Maybe we should try another spot…"

* * *

Roxas rushed to the hideout, but saw that no one was there. Breath escaped his body. There was no time to stop. He had to find Xion. He rushed further out into the rain and searched along the road.

* * *

After some time, Larxene stood up as she breathed out. Her body let out a cold shiver. The rain was starting to get to her. "This is boring! I think you've pretty much learned your lesson." Below her, Xion had her eyes closed as she breathed out hard. Her arms were pressed tightly against her chest as her legs were curled up. Larxene's eyes scanned over the few cuts and bruises she left over her arms, legs, and sides. "That will teach you about leaving." Afterwards, she walked away, leaving Xion alone. Xion tried to get up, but she couldn't. Her body felt too tired and she losing consciousness. Soon, her world had faded into black…

* * *

Roxas continued to search along the dirt roads, but so far, he didn't have any luck. The weather was getting worse and it was getting harder to see. Along the way, he called out for her, but got no response. Then, he finally noticed someone on the ground. Once he got closer, his eyes widened as his body froze. There he saw her lying on the ground injured and unconscious. "Xion…" Finally, he managed to get his body to move and kneeled down beside her. He called for again, but she didn't move. As he reached for her, his hand shook. She felt cold to the touch and her skin was pale. "No…" Tears started to fill his eyes. He was too late. He wasn't there to protect to her. He picked her up off of the ground and took off running as her body was pressed close to him. Without stopping, he ran to the hospital. Everyone near the entrance turned their heads once they heard his cry. "Please! Somebody help me!"

After the nurses took Xion, Roxas waited in the waiting room. Suddenly, he heard a voice call out to him. "Roxas!" He stood up as Kairi and Sora approached him. There was a scared look on Kairi's face as Sora looked concerned. "What happened?! Is she okay?!"

Roxas looked toward the side, disappointed. "I wasn't there to protect her…"

Sora stepped toward him. "It couldn't have been your fault."

Kairi looked anxious. "Please tell us what happened!"

Roxas took a second before he spoke. "I found her…lying on the road. She was beaten up and there were cuts on her body." Kairi placed her hands to her lips stunned. She couldn't believe that someone would hurt Xion.

Sora looked concerned. "Did the doctors say if she was okay?"

Roxas shook his head. "I don't know… I haven't heard anything since I brought her in."

Kairi glanced between them. "My parents should be by soon to see her."

Roxas's eyes traveled down. Sora noticed and put his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. It's good you found her when you did."

Roxas wasn't sure about that. What if Xion was worse off now than when he found her? Then, a doctor approached them. First, he turned his attention toward Roxas. "You're the young man that brought in the girl earlier."

"Is she okay?!" Roxas asked anxious.

The doctor let out a calm, but slightly concerned look. "She's fine. She's lucky you brought her in when you did. Any longer out there in the rain and this could've been more fatal."

Kairi stepped closer to the doctor, anxious. "What's wrong with her?!"

"Right now, her body temperature is very low, so we're trying to warm her back up. She's in a hypothermic state. If she not back to her body temperature soon, it could cause serious medical issues. We also gave her antibiotics for her open wounds so they don't get infected."

"Can we see her?!" Roxas asked anxiously.

"You can, but she's not awake right now. Whenever you're ready to see her, the nurse can let you know what room she's in." Afterwards, the doctor walked away. Roxas looked over at Sora and Kairi. Kairi pressed her fist against her chest, concerned. "Go ahead. I'll wait for my parents to show up." Roxas nodded and headed to her room. Guilt fluttered in his stomach as he walked. He couldn't believe that she had gotten hurt like this. Once he reached her room, he stepped inside. Blankets were wrapped around her body as she lied unconscious. The guilt inside of his stomach continued to build. Roxas sat down in a chair by her bed side. He watched her for a little bit of time before he spoke. "… I'm sorry… I should have been there. You have to be okay. Please…" While they were alone, he continued to watch over her.

* * *

The last few days had been hard. Every day, Roxas went to the hospital to check on Xion. It took time for her body to get warmed up again, only for her to develop a fever. Her life was still in danger. Worried, his eyes traveled along the floor of the hall. What else could he do to help her? All he could hope was that she was okay… When he lifted his head, he saw a familiar face ahead of him. Anxious, he rushed to catch up with the person. He followed the familiar face down the stairs. "Axel!"

Surprised, Axel turned around. "Roxas?" Without thinking, Roxas pushed him. Axel's back hit against the wall. "Wha-?"

There was an angry glare in Roxas's eyes. "How could you let that happen to her?!" Axel's eyes widened, surprised and concerned. "You knew where she was! Why didn't you go to help her?! Why didn't you tell me where she was?!" he yelled.

Axel's eyes traveled toward the side. He took a moment before he spoke. "I didn't know exactly where she was going to be attacked. I thought it would've been in the hideout, but I heard that Xion escaped and Larxene chased after her. By the time I got there, they were already gone."

Roxas shook him a little more. "But why didn't you tell me?!"

Axel's eyes lowered before they met back with Roxas's. "I…didn't want you to get hurt too…"

"That doesn't matter!" Roxas pressed down on his teeth as he looked toward the side. "If you've told me sooner…I could've protected her." Then, his eyes lifted up with anger. "Now she's fighting for her life!"

Guilt filled Axel's face as he stared down. "I'm sorry…"

Roxas pushed Axel aside. "Yeah right…" He walked pass him. Before Roxas left, he stopped and looked back at Axel one more time. "If you were really sorry, then you would've helped me." Afterwards, Roxas headed further down the stairs. Axel leaned against the wall as he felt miserable. Nothing he could do could change what happened to his friend…

After school, Roxas stopped by Xion's hospital room and sat by her bedside. "Sorry that I'm late." He reached into his pocket and placed a seashell on the nightstand next to her bed. "I went to the beach and got this for you today." His eyes traced over the other shells. He started a tradition of bringing her a new seashell every day in hopes that, when she woke up, she would like it and he could see her smile. Still, she hadn't woken up yet. He gave a look of disappointment and concern. She didn't seem any better, but at least she wasn't any worse. He sat back in his chair. He hoped that she would wake up soon. He spent some time with her before he went back home. His mind was still stuck on Xion and what happened to her. Anger began to rise in him again as his fist baled at his side. He couldn't just let Larxene get away with what she did...

* * *

Inside of the hideout, there was an angry glare on Axel's face. "How could you do something like that?! Right now, Xion's in a hospital fighting for her life!"

Larxene rolled her eyes as she leaned her head against her hand. Her body stretched out on the couch. "Stop making a big deal out of this…"

"If she dies, do you know how much trouble you'll get in?!"

Frustrated, she sat up quick. "I don't care! If she wasn't so weak, she would've been over this by now!"

Axel pressed down on his teeth upset as he growled. He turned around and headed outside. "I hope you regret what you did..." He looked back as there was a warning glare in his eyes. "…because it will just come back to get you."

Larxene frowned and then crossed her arms as she turned away from him. "Psst…" Afterwards, he left. For a few minutes, things were quiet until she heard footsteps approach closer and closer behind her. She closed her eyes as she frowned. She figured Axel was back to give her another lecture. "What do you want now?" She waved her hand. "I told you I don't care what happened to that girl."

Suddenly, she felt someone pull her off the couch by her coat. Her body hit the ground. Surprised, she turned onto her back. Right away, a pair of hands grabbed her jacket near her neck. "Then I shouldn't care what happens to you!"

Soon, her eyes met with the one that pinned her against the ground. "You…" She smirked as she relaxed. "Let me guess… You wanna get revenge for your little girlfriend?"

Roxas shook her once and caused her head to hit the ground again. "Why did you attack Xion?! What did she ever do to you for her to deserve that?!"

Larxene shrugged. "Maybe I just felt like it." Roxas growled through his teeth. She could see the anger in his eyes grow. "I told you before. No one leaves the organization without consequences. If she wants to get out, she'll have to fight her way out." His anger began to take over him more. He raised his fist. "What…? You gonna hit me now? Will that make you feel better?"

"You deserve worse than what you did to Xion!"

She laughed a little. "Do it, but it won't change anything."

He didn't understand how she didn't feel even the slightest bit of remorse. "You're sick…"

"Do it. Come on." His teeth grinded against each other. Soon, she felt his fist against her cheek. Apart of him tried to stop, but he couldn't help it. She needed to pay for what she did. She giggled. "Feel better now?" Roxas growled. It didn't seem to faze her. He tried to strike again, but she caught his fist. She flipped him over on his back and went over him. His eyes winced in pain. Her legs pinned his arms down along with the weight of her body. She pulled out one of her short knives.

"Let me go!" Roxas shouted.

"Since you attacked me, it's only fair that I defend myself. Now…. As a part of the organization, you shouldn't be this upset. The rules are clear. Anyone that leaves will be punished. You're still one of us, right? Then you should understand."

"No! I don't want to be a part of it anymore! I'm done!"

Interested, Larxene smirked. "Really… Well then…" Suddenly, Roxas felt pain in his arm. One of his eyes closed tight as he tried not to cry out in pain. The tip of the knife went into his forearm and caused a little bit of blood to come to the surface. "It's not too late. If you're still apart of us, then I won't hurt you too much."

He growled though his teeth and pain. "Go screw yourself."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself." A smirk curved at her lips. "Then you can be just like your little friend." Slowly, she moved her knife down his skin, splitting it open. The pain got to be too much. He cried out as he closed his eyes tight. The smirk never left her lips. Time seemed to go by slow. He wished that it would stop. Eventually, she did. When Roxas looked over, he noticed a long line of blood running down the side of his arm that went from his wrist to the middle of his elbow. Larxene stood up. "Let that be lesson not to come after me again. Congratulations…you're out of the group." Roxas could hear the sound of her footsteps becoming faint. He managed to turn on his side. It was a struggle to get up. He began to feel woozy and faint. He couldn't take anymore. His eyes lowered to a close as he turned back on his back. It felt as if the end of near. Through his blurred sight, he heard a voice yell in the distance.

Later that night, Saix walked in along with Marluxia and Demyx. As soon as they came in, they noticed blood on the floor. "What is this?"

While they spent some time trying to figure it out, they heard a voice behind them, "Wow! He actually managed to move after that." They looked back surprised to see Larxene.

Saix gave her a suspicious glare. "What do you know about this?"

Demyx became curious. "Why is there a lot of blood on the floor?"

Larxene smirked as she stepped toward Saix. "I took care of a pest. Those two new members you let join were useless. They both just wanted to leave in the end."

Marluxia crossed his arms, confused. "That still doesn't explain why there's blood on the floor."

Larxene looked serious. "That boy Roxas came in and attacked me, so I took care of him. He told me that he was going to leave the organization, so I gave him a parting gift."

Saix glared toward her. "Did you kill him?"

She shrugged. "Who knows… I have no idea where he is now."

Saix gave her a stern look. "That was reckless, just like you did with that girl. You better hope that this doesn't come back to you or else we'll have to take care of you."

Larxene frowned. She thought that he would be thanking her. "Hey! I did you a favor! Even if he does survive, I doubt he'll be stupid enough to tell what happened."

Demyx put his hands on his hips. "Larxene could be a part of our clean-up crew. That way I don't get stuck with those kinds of jobs." Saix gave one last glare to Larxene before he walked away. He really hoped that this wouldn't have to be something he would have to deal with later.

* * *

"Hm…" Slowly, Roxas opened his eyes, still feeling groggy. "Huh…? What am I…?" When he looked around, he saw that he was in a room covered in white. When he looked down at himself, he noticed that he was in a hospital gown and his arm was wrapped in bandages. When he lifted his arm, his eyes winced in pain. Somehow, he was still alive, but he didn't understand how.

After a few minutes, a doctor along with a nurse walked in. "Ah! You're awake." A man bigger in stature and tan skin approached him first. Roxas noticed the nurse beside him adjust his IV bag. "How are you feeling?"

Roxas turned his attention back to the man. "Um…? Okay I guess…"

"Do you know why you're in here?" Roxas looked down at his bandaged arm. The doctor took that as a sign. "That was a close one. You lost a lot of blood when you came in. You were lucky someone brought you in when they did."

Roxas reacted with surprise. The last thing he remembered was being in the hideout alone. "Do you know who it was?"

The doctor looked up as he thought. "No I don't…All I know was he had fire red hair. He came in begging for us to save you. I haven't seen him since." Roxas's eyes lowered. It sounded as if it was Axel who saved him. While mentally he thanked Axel, he still wished that he had helped Xion as well. "Now. How did you get that long cut on your arm?" Roxas stared at the doctor. He remembered what happened at that moment. If he told, he wondered what the organization would do? After waiting for a little, the doctor could tell he didn't want to answer. "That was very dangerous what you suffered. It could've been fatal." He looked toward his chart. "You wouldn't have happened to…try to commit suicide, did you?" Roxas's eyes widened and narrowed. "According to your family history, it seems you had a family member who did the same thing."

Roxas turned his head to him. "No! I didn't! I was attacked!" Then, his eyes lowered. He really didn't want to think about the past that still haunted him.

"Then you should report this." Roxas pressed his lips together. "It's all right to tell." It seemed that he wouldn't. The doctor breathed out. "You lost a lot of blood so we had to do a transfusion. Over time, you should feel better. In the meantime, get some rest and drink plenty of fluids. You'll be out in no time." Afterwards, the doctor and nurse left the room.

Roxas's eyes lowered toward the bed. He wondered how Xion was doing. After he was feeling up to it, he went to her room. Inside, he saw that she was still sleeping. She looked better than she did last time. He sat down by her bedside. "Hi…Xion." He placed his hand against his head. "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to bring you a seashell today. I've been stuck here for a few days it seems. I'll make sure to make it up to you." He sighed a little. "You would be pretty mad at me. I did something foolish. I went after Larxene, hoping that I could make her pay for what she did, but I ended up getting hurt instead." He placed his hand on his bandaged arm. "I quit the organization. You were right about them and I should've listened to you a long time ago. Yet…you stuck by my side because all I wanted to do was get in." He placed his head down. "I was really stupid." He slipped his hand into hers and held onto it. "Please…wake up soon. Okay?"

* * *

"Roxas!"

Roxas sat up surprised and curious out of his hospital bed. Soon, he saw Sora walk in as Ventus followed behind. "Sora? Ventus?"

They both waved. "Hey!" Sora greeted him.

"How are you feeling?" Ventus asked.

Roxas looked between them. "I'm fine. What are you guys doing here?"

Sora smiled more. "We're your brothers! Of course we would come to see you!" Roxas was touched to hear that.

Then, Vanitas stepped out from behind the curtain. "Yeah yeah. Just tell us what happened."

Roxas became surprised. "You're here too. I thought you didn't like me."

Sora smirked as he looked over at Vanitas. "What gave you that impression?"

Roxas looked serious. "He called me one of dad's bastards."

Vanitas shrugged. "Aren't we all?"

Venuts rubbed the back of his head uneasy. "We made him come."

Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "So start talking. What happened to your arm?"

Roxas looked toward the side upset. Sora tilted his head to the side curious. "You don't wanna tell us?"

Ventus pressed his fist against his chest. "This is serious. You almost died."

Vanitas put his hand on his hip. "Just spill it already." Since Roxas didn't answer, he would answer for him. "You were attacked, weren't you?" Roxas's eyes lowered. Vanitas waved his hand as he turned away. "I'm not going to force it out of you."

Sora looked uneasy. "Is it true? Were you attacked?"

Reluctantly, Roxas nodded. "Yeah…"

Ventus looked surprised along with Sora. "But who would want to do that?!"

"You guys don't have to worry about that. I'm all right now," Roxas tried to assure them. Sora and Ventus were concerned while Vanitas was suspicious.

"Uh…so…?" Sora placed his hands behind his head as he smiled a little. He could tell that he didn't want to talk about it. "When did the doctor say you could leave?"

"It should be pretty soon," Roxas replied. They spend some time talking before the three decided to leave. "Sora?" Sora looked back curious and turned to Roxas. "Did you grab one?"

Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out a seashell. "Yeah." He handed it to him.

Roxas looked down at it in his hand. "Thanks."

Sora arched his eyebrow curious. "Why are you collecting them now?"

"Just because..."

"Hmm…" Sora wished that Roxas would let him in, but he wanted to help whenever he could. Afterwards, he walked away...

* * *

In her room, Xion slowly opened her eyes. Softly, she moaned. Her body felt stiff and heavy. "Hello."

Xion turned her head toward the unfamiliar voice. Beside her, she saw a silver haired boy that stood across from her and leaned against the wall. She became concerned even though it didn't show on her face. "Who…who are you?"

"I'm a friend of Kairi's. I was waiting for her to come back." He stood up straight. "I'll go get the doctor."

A few minutes later, he returned with the doctor who proceeded to check on her. After the doctor left, Kairi and the silver haired boy were there alone with Xion. Kairi moved in and hugged her. "Xion…We were so worried about you! We didn't know when you were going to wake up!"

Xion stared at Kairi before she looked over at the boy with her. "Who's…?"

Kairi stood up straight and brushed her hair aside. "Sorry…" She smiled as she looked over. "This is my friend Riku. He decided to come with me since Sora couldn't."

Riku nodded. "It's nice to meet you."

Kairi placed her hands behind her back as she glanced between them. "Right…! You two haven't met before." Then, she became concerned. "Xion? Can you tell us what happened to you? Who attacked you while you were out in the rain?" Xion's eyes lowered toward the bed. She remained quiet. Kairi didn't want to push her on the subject. "It's okay. You went through a lot. You should rest." Afterwards, Xion lied back down as Kairi spoke with her.

The next few days, it seemed the same. Xion remained quiet while Kairi and Riku came to visit. One afternoon after they left, they ran into a nurse that was about to head inside. "Oh! Excuse me." Gently, she smiled. "I'm glad that she has friends to come visit her. I know she's had some rough nights."

Kairi looked curious and concerned. "What do you mean?"

The nurse looked concerned. "Well…Since you are family, I could inform you. It seems that she's been having nightmares and crying out in her sleep, so the doctors have been giving her something to help her calm down."

"Really?" Kairi pressed her hand to her chest worried. She wanted to know what Xion was going through. There had to be some way to help her…

* * *

Roxas stepped into Xion's room. He went over to her nightstand and placed another shell on the top of the dresser. It seemed every time he went in, she was asleep, but this time was different. When he looked over, he saw that her eyes were open. He was surprised. "Xion!" Then, a look of relief washed over his face. "You're awake," he whispered. He grabbed onto her hand as he smiled a little. "I was really worried about you. I didn't want to think the worse." Xion sat up and stared at him with a blank expression. He began to wonder why. "Xion?"

"Who…are you…?"

A feeling of dread spread across his face. He grabbed onto her hand tighter. "What do you mean?! It's me! Roxas! You remember me, right?" Her eyes searched his. When she stared at his face, it seemed to be a blur. Xion shook her head. Stunned, he sat back in his chair. How could what happened make her forget, especially after all the time they spent together? He felt the need to try again. "Xion. It's me. Roxas... We've known each other for a while now. Remember? You used to stay at my house and we would spend most of the day together. You don't remember that?" She took a second before she shook her head. The anxious feeling was overwhelming. He moved in closer to her. "Come on Xion! You have to remember! You know who I am!"

Xion closed her eyes tight as she looked scared. "Please! Stop!" Her words made him freeze.

A nurse rushed in and looked surprised. She saw the scared look on Xion's face. "Is everything all right?" Then, she looked over at Roxas. "Maybe it's better if you give her some time alone."

Roxas sighed silently and got up. The nurse followed him out of the room. Anxious, he turned to her. "I don't understand it! Why doesn't she remember me?!" Sad, his eyes lowered toward the ground. "Why was she scared of me…?"

The nurse looked concerned. "She had a near death experience and whatever happened to her traumatized her. When we asked what happened to her, she finally told us that she didn't remember." His eyes widened, stunned. "One of the symptoms of hypothermia is memory loss, so it is possible that she forgot what happened that night or…?"

"Or... what?" he asked.

"Or…" Her eyes met with his. She had to be honest. "Whether it's a side effect of hypothermia or possible retrograde amnesia, there's also the possibility that…she's trying to forget on purpose what happened to her, so her mind has regressed to a time she felt safe. Memory can be a mystery."

Roxas's eyes lowered. "So it's possible…that she forgot about me…" His fist baled at his side. "So maybe… she forgot this whole year…" He turned and walked away. He didn't know what else he should do. The nurse watched him concerned.

* * *

The next day, Riku walked into Xion's room. She was already awake and sitting up. "Hey." She watched as he sat at her bedside. "Sorry… Kairi should be here soon. She told me to go ahead and see how you were." He looked curious. "How did you sleep last night?" Her eyes lowered toward the bed. "It's still pretty bad, isn't it?" Xion nodded slightly. "It's all right. The nightmares will pass. You just have to think of something good. I heard from Kairi that you'll be able to go home soon. That's good news." Xion still remained quiet. "Things will get back to normal soon. Then you can put this all behind you."

Xion lifted her eyes to him. Her lips parted. It took a moment before she spoke. "Riku…?"

He looked curious. "What is it?"

"…We've never met before, right?"

He shook his head. "I heard about you from Kairi, but that was about it. Why do you ask?"

Xion looked forward. "…The truth is…I had a hard time remembering Kairi at first…" Riku was surprised to hear that. Her eyes lowered. "That's why I didn't say much when I woke up. I just wasn't sure. Now…I've had another person come to me, but I couldn't remember him either. He said that we were friends."

"Kairi did mention that you spent time with someone else. Maybe that was him."

She wondered if he was right. "Maybe…"

"Are you worried?"

She looked at him concerned. "Yes…"

"What was the last thing you remember?" he asked.

Her eyes traveled to the side as she thought. "I remember bits and pieces, but it's a blur. Mainly, I remembered when I first came to the island..."

Riku smiled a little. "Welcome then. It's small and not much goes on, but it's quiet enough." Xion looked a little surprised, but then she smiled a little. "That's the first time I've actually seen you smile since we've met. That's good."

His words made her a little nervous, but she kept her smile on. "What should I do now?"

"Once you get better, Kairi said that there some homework that you have to make up, but with help, you'll get though it in no time." Xion became worried. How would she get through all the make-up work? "I'll help you if you want."

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She gave him a surprised look. "You will?" He nodded. Grateful, Xion smiled. "Thank you." Her smile made him smile as well.

* * *

Roxas headed inside of the library as he carried his backpack. His mind was still back at the hospital. Ever since he visited Xion, he felt sad. It seemed what happened to her had broken their bond. He wasn't sure where to go from there. For now, he would give her space so he wouldn't pressure her to remember. "Hey! You must be Roxas. Right?"

Roxas lifted his head at the sound of a girl's voice. He saw two guys and a girl sitting at a table, staring at him curious. "Yeah."

The girl smiled toward him. "Hey! It's nice to meet you. The teacher told us that you needed to catch up on some work while you were out. So we're here to help."

Roxas looked around at them curious. "So are you guys…?"

She grinned. She realized she forgot to introduce herself. "Oh! I'm Olette!"

"I'm Pence!" he waved.

"Hayner…" His frown increased as he looked off toward the side.. "Did you have to drag us to study too?"

Olette put her hands on her hips. "You need as much help catching up as Roxas does."

"We're in your class," Pence clarified.

Hayner noticed the bandages on his arm. "What happened to you?"

Roxas looked down at his arm. "It's nothing."

Olette let out a friendly smile. "Come sit with us and we'll get started." Roxas sat down beside her. All four of them opened their books. As they studied, they talked. Roxas and Hayner were a little closed off at first, but soon warmed up to each other and the conversation they had with Pence and Olette. An hour later, Olette closed her book. "I think that's enough for today." She looked over at Roxas. "Wanna get some sea-salt ice cream with us?"

Roxas's eyes traveled toward the side, unsure since he used to get ice cream with two other friends. "Come on! I think we deserve something after all of this studying," Pence said.

Reluctantly, Roxas nodded. "Sure."

In town, they stopped by the ice cream stand and sat near the beach to watch the water. Olette, Hayner, and Pence started to eat while Roxas stared at his ice cream. The others glanced over at him. Olette looked concerned. "Roxas?"

"Roxas?" Pence called out to him too.

Roxas rose his head curious. "Hm?"

"Why are you crying...?" she asked.

Roxas blinked surprised. Soon, he felt a tear roll down his cheek. He didn't realize he was. He wasn't sure why. Quickly, he wiped his cheek. "It's-It's nothing. I'm fine." He took a bite out of his ice cream. The others were concerned, but decided not to press him on it.

Later that afternoon, Roxas walked home alone. He thought about earlier when he held his sea-salt ice cream. The more he thought about it, the more he came to a conclusion. He remembered the good times when he would eat with Xion and Axel, but now, it seemed like they would never get those times back. He opened his hand and looked at the seashell. It was the last one he planned to give to Xion. His eyes lowered to a close as another tear escaped. He didn't know if he would ever get his friend back…

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	33. The Runaways: Amends

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with story! Hope you'll like the next chapter! _

* * *

_The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, and the Organization side of the story)_

 _Chapter 32: Amends:_

Roxas walked passed the kitchen as he headed for the front door. As he went by, Sora stood in the kitchen, eating when he noticed him. "Hey!" Roxas looked back surprised. He didn't think anyone was home still. He walked into the kitchen to see a curious Sora. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Roxas looked uneasy as he rubbed the back of his head. "Oh. I'm just…meeting with Xion..."

Sora became a little concerned. They hadn't really talked about what happened recently, but inside, Sora really hoped that he was all right. "I see..."

Across from him, Roxas didn't want to tell the real reason as to why he was going out. To him, this was personal. "Well…see ya." Soon, he walked out the door.

* * *

On the island, Xion sat on her knees near the edge of the water. The day was slightly cloudy as if it was going to rain at some point. She took a white flower out of the pile that she placed beside her and let it float on the water. It drifted along with the waves further out in the distance.

"Xion!" She turned her head to the voice that called to her. Nearby, she saw Roxas come up on the dock and head toward her. Roxas noticed the flowers on the sand beside her and the one that floated in the water. She wore a black, sleeveless dress that stopped at her knees. He sat down beside her. He raised his knee and placed his arm on top. "I see you already started."

She picked up another flower and lightly rubbed one of the petals. "I got here a little early, so I decided to do some for myself. I say which part of the past I want to let go and then I let it float away in the ocean. I hope it will take some of the pain away with it." She smiled a little toward him. "I'm glad you're here with me. Are you ready?" He nodded. They stood up as Xion grabbed the flowers. Nervous, she looked over at Roxas. "I'm...not really sure what to say…"

He placed his hands in his pockets. "Whatever you want to. It's okay," he assured her.

Xion breathed in as she prepared herself and gazed out toward the ocean. "Goodbye little one... I'm sorry that we never met. I don't know what life would have been like with you, but I'm sure…it would've been something wonderful." She bent down and put the flowers she brought on the water so that they could float away. She watched them as they floated further away. It made her feel slightly better not to hold onto the pain anymore.

As Roxas watched the flowers drift away, it really began to dawn on him again on what they had lost. It brought up the feeling from before when he had lost someone else. "I'm sorry..." he whispered. Xion lifted her head to see him staring straight ahead. There seemed to be more sadness in his eyes. At that moment, she wasn't sure what to say to him. Mainly, he had been there to comfort her through her pain while he kept his inside. She understood less about what was going on through his mind. "Hey Xion…? Do you think that it was meant to be? That this was meant to happen? That maybe... we weren't meant to have this baby?"

Xion stared at him stunned. She wondered why he would say something like that. "Don't say that!"

His eyes lowered and darkened. "It's true. Maybe this was meant to happen." Suddenly, he felt a slap, which made him turn his head. He looked back at her as he rubbed the side of his cheek. The sting from her hit still hurt.

Xion closed her eyes tight as she placed her hand over her mouth. Soon, she let tears fall from her eyes. "Don't say that…" she whispered. "It's all my fault…"

Roxas placed her hands on her shoulders as he turned her toward him. "We told each other that we wouldn't blame each other. Besides, it wasn't you who did it." He lifted his eyes toward the ocean as he pulled Xion into an embrace. "That's why I think…maybe it wasn't meant to be. We weren't ready to take care of them." He leaned his head on hers. "I don't know how we would, so we shouldn't feel bad." His eyes traveled toward the side. "Besides…they're lucky to not have someone like me…" His expression softened and saddened more. "I don't want to end up being someone like…" As much as it pained him to say it, he still let it out. "...my dad…"

Xion pushed herself out of his arms and baled her fists at her sides. "You're wrong! You would've been great and they would've loved you no matter what, just like I do!"

His eyes widened a little as his breath shortened. "Xion… What did you…?" his voice faded.

It wasn't the way she wanted to reveal her feelings, but there was no turning back now. "Listen…I don't know what you've been through and I know you keep your feelings inside, but I'm not going to let you be hard on yourself anymore!" He stared at her surprised. "You don't know what things would've been like, but you shouldn't automatically assume the worse. I think we would've been fine and I think you would've done the same for them as you've done for me!"

He rubbed the back of his head as he looked toward the side. She sounded so confident that it put what he said to shame. His eyes lowered toward the ground. "Thanks Xion…" Then, he lifted up his eyes to her. "This isn't the end…There's always…another chance…"

She pressed her hand to her chest. "I know…"

Gently, Roxas smiled for comfort. "The important thing is they're in a better place now."

Xion closed her eyes as she breathed out. What he said, she believed was true. She nodded. The last step to grieving was acceptance. "You're right." Then, she looked out toward the ocean along with him. "We can move on now."

"Yeah..." Roxas whispered.

A few moments later, she spoke. "About what I said earlier…"

Surprised, he looked toward her. "Hm?"

She placed her hands behind her back as she was slightly nervous. "I…um… That wasn't the way I wanted to say it…"

He became more curious. "Say what?"

A blush came to her cheeks as she could feel herself get more nervous. "I know we said that we're starting over, but in the heat of the moment, I told you how I felt." She turned to him to face him properly. "Well it's true. I felt that way for a while now." She smiled as she built her confidence inside. "I love you."

For a moment, he stood silent and took in her words. It had been a long time since he heard them from anyone. He didn't know that she felt that strongly about him. It touched him... Before she could ask what he thought about her confession, she felt his arms wrapped around her. His face became buried in her shoulder. His reaction surprised her. After all this time, the girl he cared for most had cared for him back.

Later, Xion and Roxas were on the sand as they let the water hit their bare feet. They stared up at the cloudy sky. "Hey Xion?"

Xion kept staring at the sky. "Yeah?"

Roxas thought about what they had been through today. Inside, he felt a little better. "Thank you for today." She looked at him surprised. He smiled a little. "Things will work out. You'll see. We'll make sure of it."

Xion smiled as well. "Yeah. We will."

Almost an hour passed when the two headed back to the mainland. Their hands were locked with each other's as they walked down the dirt road toward home. Roxas's eyes traveled toward her, which Xion noticed. In return, she smiled gently. Roxas smiled back. He noticed that Xion seemed happier now that they had worked through things. At the same time, she noticed that he seemed happier as well. No more words needed to be said. As they walked, a familiar figure nearby spotted them. He realized they hadn't noticed him yet and were focused only on each other. He hesitated, unsure if he should approach them after everything that happened. His eyes traveled toward the ground as he thought about what he should do. As Roxas and Xion moved closer, the man stopped and turned around. This time, he would be ready to face whatever happens next. Curious, Xion looked over and saw the familiar face who waited for them. As she stopped, she gave a concerned look and turned toward Roxas. "Roxas?"

Roxas gave her a confused look and then looked over. Instantly, Roxas's feet came to a halt. A frown crossed his lips as his face became tense. "What do you want Axel?"

Axel's eyes lowered toward the ground. It was no question that Roxas was still angry at him for what he had done. He rubbed the back of his head as he looked away. "I just wanted to say hey that's all…"

Roxas's fists tightened at his sides. He was about to step forward, but Xion kept him back. "You have some nerve after what you did!"

"Roxas…" Xion tried to calm him down. It did help somewhat.

Axel held out his hand. "Listen… Can we just talk? Come with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Suddenly, Roxas felt a tug on his arm, which he looked over.

Xion stared at him with pleading eyes. "Wait." This was something else that he needed to move on from too. She wanted him to stop being angry. "I think that you should hear him out. Please… After all, he did help us. He helped you most of all."

Roxas sighed with his eyes closed. She did have a point. Afterwards, he turned to Axel. "Fine."

Axel smiled and then looked toward Xion. He was grateful for her help. The three walked for a few minutes. Along the way, Roxas was suspicious about where they were going, but he kept to himself. It wasn't long until they reached the spot where they used to get ice cream together. Axel looked back toward them. "Do you guys want any?"

Roxas frowned. "Ice cream isn't going to make up for it."

"I know…" Axel turned toward the cashier and asked for three sea-salt ice creams. Afterwards, the three sat together. Silence stood between them for a few minutes. Nervously, Axel scratched the back of his head. "Well…I just wanted to say…I'm sorry." He pointed toward himself. "I didn't want to lie, but I wanted to make sure that you stayed out of the way and I would handle finding Xion."

Roxas frowned as he stared at his ice cream. "It doesn't matter. I went after Larxene because of what she did to Xion and got hurt anyway." He lifted his head to him. "I thought Xion was supposed to be your friend too! How could you let that happen to her?!" Roxas's yell had set Xion and Axel on edge.

Xion wanted to say something to calm him, but she knew it was best for him to get it off his chest now. Axel looked down, disappointed in himself. "I didn't want it to..."

Roxas baled his fist on his leg. "But the organization comes first right?! You do whatever they tell you to do no matter how wrong it is!"

Axel looked concerned. "Roxas-."

"Xion almost died!" Xion closed her eyes as she breathed in. Roxas calmed down a little. He held his head down as he thought of how scared he was back then. "I almost lost her…"

Axel's eyes traveled down sad. "I know. I almost lost her too and then you got hurt-."

"That doesn't matter!" Roxas yelled.

Axel became anxious. "Listen! I didn't help the organization hurt her!"

Roxas leaned toward him. "You think just because you didn't lay a hand on her, that it makes you innocent in all this?! You think this means I'm supposed to forgive you?! No matter what, I could've saved her!"

Axel felt it was too soon to ask, but he had to know. "Will you ever forgive me…? You too Xion?" Roxas clutched his teeth together. Xion was fine now, but if she would have died, he didn't think he could forgive him. Still, could he now? His bangs covered his eyes. "Roxas?" Axel called. Roxas didn't respond. Axel looked down as he started to lose hope. Suddenly, he felt a fist meet the side of his cheek. The hard strike made Axel fall to the ground with his eyes closed tight. His ice cream dropped beside him.

Xion's eyes widened and stood up. "Roxas! Stop!"

"Xion! Stay back!" His yell made her body freeze. She was worried about what he would do next. Roxas reached down and grabbed Axel by his shirt. Roxas raised his fist to hit him again.

"It's okay Xion. I deserve it…" Axel closed his eyes and waited for him to get his angry out. Then, Axel heard a sigh above him. He opened his eyes to see Roxas lower his fist.

"You're not even worth it anymore." He let go of Axel and stepped back.

Xion stood up and went to Roxas's side. "Roxas… You should forgive him!" Xion looked down at Axel. "Because I already have." Axel stared at her stunned as he breathed in. She turned her attention back to Roxas. "Remember earlier? We talked about forgiveness and letting go of the past. It's clear that Axel is trying to make amends." She glanced over at him. "He started with the other day when he tried to help us escape. Even before that." Then, she turned her head back Roxas with a stern look. "Don't forget that it was Axel who saved your life! You wouldn't still be here without him!"

Roxas's eyes lowered toward the side. "That's not the point... Things wouldn't be this way if he would've just told me were you were in the first place."

"I don't blame Axel for trying to protect you. There wasn't much you could do. Larxene would've came after me regardless." Xion pressed her fist against her chest. "I wouldn't want you to get hurt either because I care about you too, so I'm glad that he tried to protect you." She closed her eyes tight. "I don't know what I would've done if he hadn't saved you. I can't lose you too." Roxas looked at her concerned. She had already been through a lot in such a short time. Axel sat up from off of the ground concerned as well. Xion relaxed and then smiled toward Axel gently. "And I can tell he really misses you a lot as his friend . I really want you to have your best friend back."

Roxas was still unsure. "But... you're my best friend."

"You're both my best friends too," Axel's eyes traveled along the ground. "At least…you were…"

Xion held out her hand. "We still could be." Surprised, Axel looked at her. Soon, he grabbed Xion's hand and stood up. He scratched the back of his back of his head. There was a look of regret on his face. "I really am sorry Xion."

Xion smiled a little. "It's all right. It's time that you move pass this too." She grabbed Axel's hand with her left hand and then Roxas's with her right. He moved their hands closer together. Roxas still wasn't sure about it. Roxas grabbed her hand tighter and pulled her away. Xion gave him a surprised look. "Roxas?"

"Let's go Xion." Roxas pulled her along. Both Xion and Axel were worried that he wouldn't change his mind...

Axel's eyes widened, anxious. "Roxas!" At first, Roxas stopped. He didn't look back at him. Axel watched and waited for him to say something. Roxas glanced back at him one more time before he left. Axel sighed as he looked down. He didn't know where he stood now, but he just hoped that one day, Roxas would be able to forgive him...

After a few days had passed, Axel walked in the school hallway with his hands in his pockets. His eyes were pointed toward the ground. He hadn't been happy much after his confrontation with Roxas. He still had no answer as to whether or not he forgave him. As the people passed him by, he lifted his head up and glanced further down the hall. Suddenly, his expression changed into surprise. Walking toward him, he saw Roxas holding Xion's hand. She laughed as he smiled toward her. Axel stopped as he tried to remember what hall he was on, since he usually didn't see the two of them. He was more nervous about coming face to face with Roxas again. He didn't know what else he could say. Roxas looked and noticed Axel frozen in the hallway. The smile disappeared from his face as he continued to walk forward.

Axel's hand shifted from his hips to waving toward them. "H-Hey!" He cleared his throat as his eyes searched the ground for something to say.

Slowly, Roxas placed his hand on his shoulder. "Hey! Don't stress it. I'm sure you'll have more to say later." Axel stared at him stunned. Not only was Roxas talking to him, but he was friendly. Axel stared until Roxas and Xion were out of sight. Before they left, he noticed their smiles. Axel couldn't believe it. It had to be a good sign. As he stood in the hall, he was happy. Maybe this really was their chance to start over again...

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon! We'll continue back with 'Sibling Rivalry' next!  
_


	34. Sibling Rivalry: Ship Off

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Namine side of the story)_

 _Chapter 33: Ship Off:_

The two locked hands as they walked through the hall. Often, they would look at each other with a smile. It was noticeable to everyone around them that they had grown closer than they were before and their friends wondered why.

"All right! What's going on?" Kairi looked up from her desk as Selphie stood in front of her with her hands on her hips. School was out for the day and everyone started to leave the classroom.

Kairi blinked curious. "What do you mean?"

Confusion was written on Selphie's face. "I don't get it. First, you two weren't spending any time together. Now you two can't keep your hands off of each other."

Kairi grinned as she grabbed her bag and stood up. "We're not that bad. We're just in a better place."

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the boy with the glasses. For a second, their eyes met, but then he quickly shifted his eyes away. It seemed that the bad bruising in his eyes had disappeared from the punch. After what happened, he avoided her as often as he could. She didn't like the thought of someone being afraid because of her, but it helped to know that she was safe and it reminded her that Sora was looking out for her. That thought made her grateful. "So are you free to hang out or are you hanging out with _Sora_?" She laughed a little.

Kairi smiled at Selphie's teasing. Soon, her expression turned into one of regret. "Sorry, but I can't hang out with anyone today. My mom is…really coming down on us lately. Now all of us have to be home by a certain time."

Selphie looked a little concerned. "Is everything okay?"

Kairi looked off to the side uneasy. She couldn't help but be concerned over what happened recently. "Sorry, but there's something else I need to do."

* * *

As they walked down the road, Kairi wrapped her arm around Xion's. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Xion gave her a calm look to assure she was fine. "I'm sure…" Kairi stared at her worried. She knew that she was going through something difficult, but she wasn't sure what to say to comfort her. All she knew was that she would be there for her. It was the least that she could do to help her.

They stepped through their home door where their mother waited on the other side. "Girls! You're home! Good." Kairi noticed the look of disappointment she gave toward Xion. They didn't talk much about it, but they both knew that she was very upset with what happened, even though she tried not to show it. Xion's eyes lowered to the ground. Their mother glanced between them. "Do you have any homework to do?"

"Yes," they both replied.

"Make sure that you finish and then we'll meet down here together for dinner, but first, I want to talk to you both about something." Kairi and Xion sat down on the stools at the kitchen island. "I've been thinking a lot about what you girls could do for the summer and I was thinking that both of you could participle in summer school. It will give you a better chance of getting into a better university." The two remained silent as she spoke. Lately, things seemed more like a punishment...

* * *

Namine's eyes lowered toward her notepad. Things had been hard since she heard Sora say those words to her. After that, she had thrown herself into her work and became more distant. She couldn't let go of her sadness. Minutes passed before she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Outside in the hallway, she saw Riku pass by. Lately, he seemed very upset and it was understandable. After she heard everything that happened, she wanted to say something, but she hesitated. What could she say? His heart was broken just like hers. How could she make him feel any better? Then, she heard a noise which made her lift her head. Soon, her eyes had met with his. "H-Hi…" she whispered. He sat down at the desk nearby her. He stared down as he frowned. Uneasy, she looked down as she tried to find something to say. "I…I heard about what happened…I'm…I'm sorry…" He continued to stare down. It seemed that her first words didn't help. Her eyes lowered toward the ground.

Suddenly, she heard his fist slam against the desk. His reaction worried her. Namine glanced at him before she looked toward the ground. "I…I know how you feel… It must be hard…"

A growl escaped through his teeth, "I don't understand why she would go back to him! Even with all that he put her through!"

"I know…It hurts now, but…" She looked over toward him. "…you'll get over it…"

He looked over toward her upset. "Are you over Sora then?!" Namine looked down as she turned silence. Riku knew that she wasn't over it, but he spoke out of anger. Frustrated, he breathed out. "I'm tired of this…"

Namine gave a sympathetic look. She already knew what he had been through. "I know how hard it's been for you. First, it was Kairi… and I'm sure that…Xion meant a lot to you." Hearing her words, she could see the hurt on his face. "I'm sorry…"

"No. You're right." He breathed out as he stood up. "I don't know what it is about that family. I lost to Sora and now Roxas."

Namine stared down sad. "No matter what you try… nothing worked. It still hurts."

Riku looked sympathetic. He sat on the windowsill. "You just want to find some way to make it go away even if it's for a second."

She closed her eyes tight as she pressed her forehead down onto her notepad. "Yes…"

He leaned back against the window as he looked up. "And now you would do anything to make it stop." She lifted her head a little as she still hid the sadness on her face. He tilted his head to try and meet her eyes. "You've barely said a word for a long time. Instead you've been here. All you do is draw."

She shook her head. "I don't know what else to do…" she cried lowly. Tears escaped from her eyes. It felt as if her feelings of pain were pouring out again.

His hand reached over. He used his thumb to wipe away the tear from her cheek. "Sorry…"

She let out a smile as she continued crying. "No. I'm sorry. You're right. I've been trying to find a way to forget, but I can't. I just can't…" His eyes watched her. Seeing her pain reflect his own had brought his own feelings to the surface. He wanted to forget as well. Her head leaned against his hand. Somehow, it brought some comfort. She no longer felt the need to hide her face. For a few seconds, he watched her. As her eyes opened partly, she noticed that his face was closer to her. The two paused as they stared at each other. It felt like they were the only two in the world that understood each other. Without thinking, he leaned in and pressed his lips against her. In that moment, they had forgotten about everything, where they were, their thoughts, their feelings of pain. When they parted, she stared at him with surprise. It took a second to register what they had done. She shook her head. "This isn't right."

He looked serious, but curious. "Did it help you forget?"

"Yes," she sounded surprised.

"You said that you wanted to forget. We can help each other."

Before he moved in again, she stood up and slipped pass him as she shook her head. "We shouldn't. It's not right. This isn't the way that we should forget."

Riku breathed out as he closed his eyes. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Namine relaxed a little and then headed back to him. "It's okay. Thanks for trying to make me feel better." She brushed his long bangs aside from his eyes. "You really need a haircut."

A smile appeared on his lips. "You always tell me that."

She put her hands behind her back as she giggled. "And I'll keep telling you until you actually do it."

He let out a silent grin. "Maybe I will." The two stared at each other. While things were quiet, they thought about the kiss they shared and how they felt about it. With one kiss, they felt something changed. Riku turned slightly away from her. "I guess I'll see you later."

Namine placed her hair behind her ear, slightly nervous. "I'll walk with you if you don't mind."

Riku nodded. "Sure." She grabbed her stuff and packed them in her bag. Together, they took off. As they walked, Namine peeked over at Riku. At that moment, she wasn't sure what to think or what could be running through his mind, but one thing stuck out to her. She found she liked the kiss he had given her.

* * *

A sigh of relief left Kairi as she stared out at the serene ocean. "Everything okay?" Kairi turned her head to Sora who sat beside her on the branch of the papou tree. It was nice, just the two of them alone. Everything around them was quiet and peaceful.

"I guess…" For now, she just wanted to get away from everything that happened.

Sora became curious and concerned. "What's wrong?"

She leaned back against her hands. "It's just…things have changed since…what happened to Xion."

The thought of her saddened him. "How is she…?" he asked uneasy.

Kairi's eyes traveled along the ground. "She's been a little distant again like when I first met her."

Sora wondered how Roxas and Xion were dealing with the situation. It seemed they didn't let either one of them in. "Hmm…"

Then, Kairi looked up toward the sky. "I can't imagine what she must be going through."

"To think…we both could've had a niece…or nephew…" he said quietly.

Silence crept between them. The loss had affected all of them. "I think now, because of what happened, my mother is becoming harder on us. That's why I haven't been able to spend as much time with you. She's probably afraid that the same thing will happen again. Now she's trying to get us into school for the summer." She gazed out over the ocean. "Now… I just want to get away."

Sora watched her as she spoke. She didn't seem as happy these days. He didn't like seeing her this way. "Well…maybe we can."

She looked down disappointed. "I don't know how."

Hopeful, he smiled toward her. "We'll figure something out."

She gave a small smile, before she stood up. "I better head back before I miss curfew."

Sora stood up. "I guess I'll see you next time." She nodded toward him before she headed toward her boat.

Minutes later, she made it back home. Quietly, she closed the door behind her. "Kairi! Welcome home!"

Kairi smiled a little toward her mother. Afterwards, she headed toward the stairs. "I'm going to head up to my room."

"Oh! Before you go..." Kairi turned around as she became curious. They both headed toward the kitchen. "I've been looking at some summer programs and there's a few that I wanted you to take a look at." Kairi's eyes lowered toward the ground. It wasn't what she wanted to do. Her mother gave her a curious stare. "What is it?"

Uneasy, Kairi looked up at her. "I'm…I'm not sure I want to go."

Her mother became concerned. "What?"

Kairi sat down on one of the stools. "I don't want to go to summer school. I want to spend the summer with my friends. With…"

Anxious to get her to agree, her mother sat in front of her. "You'll have plenty of time to spend with your friends when you get back."

Kairi shook her head. "But it won't be much of a break."

"Listen. I know you want to spend time with your friends, but school is more important and also…" She hesitated for a moment before she spoke. "…maybe spending time with that boy isn't the best idea."

Kairi's eyes widened in surprised. "What?"

"We've both been through a lot with what happened with Xion and we don't want the same thing to happen again." She brushed her fingers through Kairi's hair. "You're so smart and beautiful. You have your whole future ahead of you."

Kairi searched her eyes. "I don't understand…"

"It would be best… if the two of you didn't spend so much time together… I mean just one mistake can…" She shook her head. "I mean look at what has already happened with his family. Look at what happened to your sister Xion and the boy she got involved with and I haven't heard good things from Aqua's parents about his older brother either."

Kairi shook her head. "It's not like that. You don't have to worry about us. Sora is a good person."

"And I don't doubt that. He's been nice ever since I could remember, but maybe... this isn't the time to get involve with a boy."

Kairi stood up, frustrated. "That's not what this is about! You're afraid that I'll end up like Xion, but I won't!" She started walking away. "I don't want to go to school for the summer! I'm fine how I am!"

A stern look came on her mother's face. "If you don't pick a school, then I'll have to pick one for you." It didn't seem like she could win this argument with her mother. She headed upstairs toward her room.

* * *

A few days later, as Kairi gazed out over the ocean, her feet brushed against the cold water. As she sat on the dock, the same thought came into her mind several times over. When she made up her mind, she removed her hand from atop of Sora's who sat beside her. "Hey Sora?"

Curious, he turned his head. "Yeah?"

"Remember a few years ago when we were building the raft?" she asked.

Sora wondered where she was going with this. "Yeah?"

A faint smile came to her lips as she thought back. "We were sitting right here and I said let's just take the raft and go. Just the two of us."

A grin came to his face as he thought back. "Yeah. I was surprised that you wanted to." Once more, he became curious. "Why?"

A serious look came on her face. "This time... I mean it."

Instantly, he became surprised. "What?"

There was a determined stare on her face as she baled her fists. "I mean it! We've never taken the raft out onto the ocean or traveled to see if there were other worlds out there. This summer we should sail out. Just the two of us."

At first, he blinked, silent, before he spoke, "What brought this up?"

For a moment, she thought about everything that was going on. It was the only thing she could think of. "I just…want to get away from it all." She gazed toward the horizon. "It would just be the two of us. No one to tell us what to do or where to go."

There had to be something else behind her idea. His eyes searched hers. "Kairi?"

As her eyes lowered, Kairi sighed. "My mom is trying to plan everything like where I should go to school for the summer. Now she wants us to spend less time together." She rested back on her hands as she looked up. "She doesn't want anything else to happen that would cause attention. Maybe that's why she wants to keep me busy." She placed her head down. "She wants to make sure I don't make the same mistake Xion did… I'm just tired of being so…restricted. I don't want someone telling me what to do all the time." Soon, she looked over at him. "Will you go with me? Even if it's just for a day?"

Things became silence as he thought to himself. From the look on her face, she really did want to get away. It was then that his mind was made up. "Let's go." Her eyes lifted in surprise. At first, she didn't think that he would go with her idea. Sora grinned. "It will only be for a day or two. That couldn't hurt." He pointed outwards toward the ocean. "If we get an early start, we can make it to the next island by the middle of day."

Kairi displayed a happy grin. The two of them were planning to use the raft like they had a few years ago, expect this time they would really travel. "Let's save up any money that we have between now and summer and then set sail!"

He nodded toward her. "You got it!" He stood up on the deck as he smiled down at her. "But first, we should probably check on the raft to see if we can still use it or if it needs fixing." She took his hand as she nodded and then stood up along with him. They walked to the other side of the island where they still had the raft sitting on land. From the looks of it, it still seemed pretty useful.

Kairi breathed out in relief. "Good! It doesn't seem like it needs much work." She grinned toward Sora. "It will be just like old times!" She pointed out toward the ocean. "At the beginning of summer, we'll set sail!"

"Yeah!" Sora looked down at the raft as he baled his fist up, determined. "We'll finish building it and be on our way!" Kairi became more excited about the idea seeing Sora being enthused about it as well. She couldn't believe that they were going through with it. The start of summer sounded like it was going to be something great...

* * *

The next few months flew by before school was over for the summer. Kairi couldn't help but be ecstatic. Today would be the day that she would take her trip with Sora. Early in the morning, she rowed out to the island. She tied her boat to the dock and headed toward the other side of the island. Already, she spotted Sora with the raft making the last few adjustments. Once he saw her, he waved at her as he grinned. Excited, she waved back. She ran down toward him. "Morning!"

"Morning!" Sora stood up as he grabbed onto the rope. "You got everything packed?"

She took her bag off her back. "Yup! I got bottled water and snacks just in case we get hungry and all of my munny I've saved up!"

"Then we're all set to go then!" Together, they nodded toward each other and pushed the raft out into the ocean. She climbed on board first. Sora grabbed her hand and got on with her. She headed toward the front while he paddled in the back. It was already smooth sailing. Kairi took a deep breath of the ocean air as the wind whipped through her hair. A big grin came on her face. They really were off. She looked back. Sora grinned toward her. "Lead the way captain!"

She nodded. "Aye aye!" Both of them stared out at the ocean ahead of them. They couldn't wait for the adventure ahead of them. As they sailed out into the clear blue sea, further behind them there were dark clouds rolling in the sky miles away from them.

Sometime later, Kairi's finger traced along the map she had in front of her. "Yo ho ho~! A pirate's life for me~!" A slight chuckle escaped from her lips. It was hard to concentrate with her own personal singer behind her.

She looked back. "Are you having fun there, Captain Sora?"

Sora grinned as his hand was wrapped around the pole that held the sails and his paddle standing up in his other hand. "You don't want to be a pirate?"

"We can be." She pointed forward. "If we curve a little to the left, we should be able to make it to the island." Sora kneeled down beside her and looked at the map. Kairi grinned. "Maybe…we'll discover some new treasure."

Sora nodded. "You got it!"

Then a thought crossed her mind which made her curious. "Hey Sora? I don't think we can both be captains."

"Why not? You're leading the way. I'm steering. We can both be captains!"

"I think there's another name for that." She placed her finger to her lip. "I'm more of the… that's it! The Navigator!"

Sora grinned. "Then lead the way Navigator Kairi!"

Kairi looked back as she smiled. "Right Captain Sora!" Behind them, she noticed their home was no longer in sight. It was too late to turn back now. They would continue on their path. Eventually, she spotted another land up ahead. "Sora! We're almost there!" Sora lifted his head to see the same thing she saw. She turned her head back as she smiled. "We really did it!"

"I knew we could!" His confident caused her to smile.

Within a matter of minutes, they brushed up on the shore of another island. They hid the raft near some trees and headed into town. Kairi looked around in awe as Sora followed behind. The land was covered with sand as there were straw beach huts on each side, going down the line. This had been her first time off the island since she had been adopted. The memory of where she came from was starting to fade as the years went on. While it saddened her, she would still remember her grandmother and that was all that counted. She looked back behind her. She knew no matter where she went, she could make new memories with Sora.

"Welcome!" At the welcome hut, a man greeted them. "How can I help you?"

Kairi smiled toward the attendant. "Hi! We just got here and we would like to rent out a beach hut."

The man glanced at her and then Sora. He couldn't help but gave a sly grin as he noticed it was just the two of them. "Just the two of you?" Sora and Kairi nodded as they agreed. "Sure! How many nights would you like?"

After getting the details, Kairi used her munny to pay. Soon, they headed to a small, empty hut. She looked around surprised and excited in their one bedroom residence. Even the view from inside looked beautiful. All of the furniture was made from wood and surrounded with flowers throughout. Outside of their window, they could see the ocean and the other beach huts around. They dropped their bags onto the floor. Kairi turned to Sora as she grinned. "The view is amazing! Look at this!"

A gentle smile came on his face. "It is..." The view outside of the beach truly was beautiful, but there was something that was even more so. He watched as she excitedly searched around the room, amazed at everything around her. It made him happy to see her happy.

All of sudden, his eyes widened in surprise as he snapped out of his thought. He felt the warm embrace of her arms wrapped around his neck. "We did it! We actually made it!"

He smiled and returned the embrace. "So what do you want to do first?!" he asked.

She grinned. There's so much they could do, but mainly whatever they did, they could spend time together. "Let's eat!"

"Agreed!" There was no arguments from his stomach.

After getting changed into beach attire, Kairi ran out in her sundress with a two-piece bathing suit underneath. She grabbed onto the top of her sunhat as the ocean breeze surrounded her. Her mouth opened into a wide grin. Sora stepped behind her, wearing black short with red lines on the edge and sandals. Excited, she grabbed his hand, which surprised him and took off running as he struggled to keep up. The two sat to eat before exploring the beach around them. It wasn't until night that they finally returned back to their beach hut. "Thank you."

Sora looked down surprised as Kairi lied beside him. On the bed, his arms were wrapped around her as they laid on their side. His hand stopped from flipping through channels on the remote. "For what?"

She turned her head toward him as she smiled. "For today. It's the most fun I've had in a long time."

He let out a gentle smile. "I'm glad."

She turned toward him with her eyes closed and leaned against his chest. Her hand brushed against his skin. "I wish that we could stay a little longer."

"We could... stay one more night. Let's make the most of it."

She nodded against him. "You're right."

Curious, he looked down. "I'm surprised that you were able to get away for even a night. How?"

She smiled against him. "Well…it wasn't easy…I asked if I could have a sleepover with one of my friends."

He was surprised to hear that. "Your mom had to know one of those friends was me."

"I…kind of avoid it saying who until my dad came in and said I could go…"

Silently, he laughed. "Kairi…"

She lifted her head. "What did you tell your mom?"

He looked off to the side. "Kind of…the same thing." Afterwards, the two grinned at each other.

The next day, they spent more time on the beach. During the afternoon, the wind started to get stronger around the island, picking up some of the sand off of the ground. Kairi placed her hand on top of her sunhat as they stopped and closed their eyes. After it calmed down, the two looked over at each other. "It's starting to get a little windy."

Sora looked up. "The clouds are starting to come in. They looked pretty bad."

Kairi looked concerned. "So much for going back today. If we tried, we'll sink like the raft."

As they walked, Kairi noticed there was a worried look on the locals' faces, ones that couldn't be ignored. They walked over as they overheard them talking. "The storm is coming in strong. It's really picking up speed and I heard the winds are going to be rough."

Concerned, Kairi looked over at Sora as she grabbed tighter onto his hand. "What do you think we should do?"

For a moment, Sora stood in silence, thinking, until he walked toward the staff. "Excuse me? If there's a storm on the way, should we go somewhere else?"

"For now, things should be fine. Just stay inside until it passes." Kairi's other hand grabbed onto Sora's hand. She started to get worried. Even though he didn't look over, he noticed the squeeze of her hands.

After speaking with them a little more, the staff walked away. Then, he looked over to see the worried look on her face. He smiled to assure her. "Don't worry. We'll be fine."

As the night progressed, the wind started to pick up more. Kairi's eyes lowered to the ground worried as she wrapped her arms around her knees. She had a bad feeling about the storm that was over them. Soon, she felt a hand on top of her shoulder. She lifted her head to see Sora above her with a smile. He sat beside her on the floor on the side of the bed. "We're going to be fine. It will pass. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Hmm…" She tilted her head toward the side and leaned against his shoulder. They would just have to wait out the storm...

BOOM! The thunder outside rumbled the ground. There were bright flashes of light outside. She closed her eyes tight. She didn't like how loud and close the storm sounded. "Do you remember...?" His voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

She looked over toward him. "Remember...?"

He smiled toward her. "When we were little, you were scared of storms like this."

A faint smile appeared on her lips. "Sometimes I had you to help me calm down. Just like now. Other times…I wished that you were always with me."

"Here." He placed his hands on her shoulder, leading her over toward him.

She looked surprised. "What are you…?" She sat between his legs as his knees were up near his chest and wrapped his arms around her. She turned silence as she remained surprised, but then relaxed against him. "You don't have to do that."

He grinned. "Why not…?"

A grin slipped out of her lips as well. "Because…I'm not a little kid anymore."

"You still like it," he teased.

She leaned back against his shoulder and buried her face in his neck. She gave a smoothing moan. "You always know how to make me feel better."

Sora hugged her tighter. "Good to know." As they were quiet, they hear more of the thunder rumble outside. Now that she was in his arms, it didn't bother her. Above them, they could hear the creak of the roof. In front of them, they heard the television going on about the storm outside. All of a sudden, everything turned dark. The two were surprised. Sora looked out toward the window. "It looks like the power went out."

Kairi became worried. "That isn't good."

Sora stood up and checked outside. "It seems like the power is out everywhere. It might be down for a while."

"What should we do?" she asked, uneasy.

He looked back at her and smiled to assure they were fine. "Keep each other company of course!"

She gave a small smile, but he could tell that she was still worried. He returned back to her side and held onto her. The creak of the roof became louder and worse. She looked up concerned. Then, her eyes widened, surprised. "Sora!"

"Huh?" He lifted his head. Suddenly, a beam crashed down to the floor. Right away, he used his body to shield her from any falling debris. She let out a small yell. He moved them back toward wall. The force of the wind broke the glass of the window. Both of them closed their eyes tight as he held onto her. _"This storm is worse than I thought,"_ he said in his mind. For them, he knew that it would be a long night. Kairi kept her eyes closed as she was squeezed tightly against him. Quietly, she wished that the storm was over. Before she realized it, all she saw was darkness.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I should be back to update soon!  
_


	35. Sibling Rivalry: Just The Two of Us

_**Author's Notes:** __Thanks for keeping up with the story!_

 ** _Warning + Sort of spoiler alert for this chapter:_** _Things get graphic in this chapter, so for anyone who doesn't want to read anything sexual, I've section it off like this: At the beginning I will put "xxx" and at the end you're see a line across the page. I know not everyone wants to read the graphic parts, so I've made it a little easier to skip._

 _Hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Namine side of the story)_

 _Chapter 34: Just The Two of Us:_

Kairi could hear a noise in the darkness. She let out a groan as she closed her eyes tight. Slowly, she opened her eyes as she woke out of her sleep. When she woke up, she found herself sitting on the floor with her back against the wooden wall. Tired, she looked around. Near the door, she saw that it was blocked off by the wooden beams that fell from the ceiling. She sat up straight against the wall. "Sora?"

Nearby, he pulled on the beams as he struggled. Worried, she stood up off of the floor. The storm caused more damage than she thought. With one final grab and pull, he managed to move the beams out of the way and let them crash on the floor. He managed to clear a path to the door so that they could get out. Afterwards, he looked back toward her determined. "Let's grab our stuff and get out of here. We need to see what's going on."

Kairi nodded and went to the other side of the room. She grabbed their bags that were sitting on the other side. He took ahold of his bag from her hand. They managed to go through the remaining beams and made their way outside. Once they made it outside, they looked surprised. Not only had the storm caused a lot of damage on the inside of where they stayed, but it seemed to have caused a lot of damage to the beach as well. There was debris scattered around and trees leaning closer toward the ground. As they walked, they were worried.

"Help!" Suddenly, they heard a call nearby. Right away, they looked over toward another beach hut near theirs. "Help!" they heard the cry again.

She looked over at him concerned as he looked ahead serious. "What should we do?" Sora took off running toward the call. Kairi's eyes widened. "Sora!" He rushed inside of the rental. She ran behind him and stepped near the entrance, worried.

He glanced back at her. "Stay here!"

Kairi didn't want him to get hurt. Impatiently, she waited as her mind debated about what she could do to help. Despite what he said, she headed forward to help him. Once she stepped near the door, Sora stepped out and helped an elderly woman step outside. The woman breathed out a sigh of relief. She was startled, but unharmed. "Ah! Thank you young man!"

Kairi breathed out as she placed her hand against her chest. She was thankful that Sora was okay. Nearby some of the locals ran toward him. Two had escorted the woman as the others looked thankful toward Sora. Concerned, Kairi ran over to him. "Are you okay?!"

Sora nodded and smiled so that she wouldn't be worried. "Yeah."

Then, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. There was a small stream of red rolling down his arm. "Sora…You're hurt."

He twisted his arm toward him to get a better look. He was surprised that he didn't notice. Worried that he had hurt himself further, she grabbed onto his hand. She noticed that his fingers were red and scratched. He smiled to assure her. "Really… I'm okay." Sora looked around concerned about what was going on around him. His expression changed to determined. "Listen! There could be others in trouble. I'm going to go help. They might need it." He slipped his hands out of hers and took off running.

Kairi reached out worried. "But-!"

He waved toward her and smiled for comfort. "Don't worry! I'll be right back!"

Her feet slowed to a stop as she watched him take off. Kairi really hoped that Sora would be all right. She still wished that he would have taken care of himself before going off to help. While he was off, she thought of ways that she could help as well. She wouldn't stand by and wait. Nearby, she noticed a few of the beach staff standing in front of the information hut and walked toward them. She stood beside them. The two girls looked off toward one of the beach rentals. Across the way, Kairi spotted Sora escorting a mother and her two kids out of one of the beach huts. The mother held her son in her arms as the little girl held onto Sora's hand. Sora kneeled down in front of her as he grinned to cheer her up. Soon, he got her to giggle. Sora smiled toward the kids as their mother looked grateful. Kairi couldn't help but smile. He was always kind to strangers, but it was times like these his kindness really shined.

"Awe!" Kairi looked over curious toward the girls as they smiled. "He's so sweet."

"He's kind of cute."

A gentle, relaxed smile came on Kairi's lips. "Yeah…" When she looked over, she noticed that the girls were staring at her surprised and curious. She mirrored their reaction. "Oh! Sorry! I was just wondering if you needed any help."

One of the girls nodded. "Sure if you like! We're directing people for when the shuttle gets here. You can hand out any water for anyone who needs it."

"Since it's been kind of quiet, you can wait for the shuttle if you want."

"I'll stay." She pointed over toward Sora. "Besides, I can't leave without that guy over there. As long as he's helping, I can't just sit back and do nothing." The girls looked curious as to who they were to each other. Taking notice, she answered their silent question. Kairi placed her hands behind her back. "He's my boyfriend."

"Oh!" the girls replied.

Internally, hearing the word 'boyfriend' always made her happy. As time passed, she stood with the girls and helped hand out bottles of water to the people that were still there. During that time, she wondered how Sora was doing. They had been standing outside for some time. Some of the staff that she saw from before had stopped to grab water. "How is everything?" One of the girls on the staff asked.

"We've been walking around everywhere. I think that everyone is accounted for. Having a few, extra volunteers really helped."

Kairi smiled as she overheard them. Inside, she was proud of Sora for helping. After waiting a little longer, she spotted him searching around. Happy, Kairi waved her hand. "Sora!" Sora sent a smile toward her and headed over. She grabbed a bottle before they were face to face. "Here! I'm sure you haven't had any yet." Nervously, he smiled and drunk some water. As he stood, she noticed that he still hadn't taken care of the scratches on his arms and fingers, which made her frown. All of a sudden, he felt her grab his arm. There was a serious look on her face. "You've done all you can. Now let me help you." Nervously, Sora grinned. Further along the beach, they found a medical tent. "Excuse me." The nurse turned around to them. Kairi pushed Sora forward. "I have someone here who's hurt."

The nurse smiled toward him. "Please sit."

Sora sat down on the table as the nurse grabbed the bandages. She grabbed some tweezers and started removing some of the splinters he had in his fingers. Since Sora was done helping, the thought crossed Kairi's mind that they needed to get back to the island. As he sat, getting bandaged, Kairi looked over at Sora. "I'll be right back."

Sora became curious. "Where are you going?"

Kairi smiled to assure him. "I'll be okay. Just make sure you take care of yourself," she said with a stern hint in her voice. She turned around and walked out onto the beach. As she looked around, she couldn't believe all the damage that happened in one night. She placed her hand on her chest. They were lucky that they came out with minimum injury, but mainly she was lucky to have Sora with her when it happened. Done reflecting on what happened, she focused on the mission at hand. They had to find a way back to their island. Maybe there was a chance that the raft was okay and they could sail back today. She walked to the other side of the beach. She traveled out toward the edge of the water where they had stored the raft near some trees. Once she looked, the raft wasn't there anymore. She searched around and soon after, noticed parts of the raft floating in the water. Kairi let out a sigh. There was no way that they were getting back by the raft. For now, they were stuck on the beach. Afterwards, she turned around and headed back toward the medical tent. Nearby, Kairi noticed a man directing some of the other emergency helpers on the beach. There had to be another way to get back to their island. "Excuse me?" She approached the man.

The tall, older man in a white jacket and camouflage underneath turned around to her. "Yes?"

Kairi looked a little concerned. "We need to get back to Destiny Islands. Is there any way that we could get there now?"

The man lifted his head as he looked serious. "Destiny Islands? Hmm..." He pointed over toward the left in the distance. "It's the island over there, right?"

"Yes!" Kairi answered.

He looked down at her serious. "I'm sorry, but the waters are still too rough to go that far because of the storm. There won't be a boat going out there yet, especially not with another possible storm on the way. For now, we're asking everyone to take shelter in the city nearby. It would be better if you find a place to stay until you can take a boat back to your homeland." Kairi's eyes lowered, worried. They had no way to get back home. "I'm sorry. Excuse me." The man who lead the rescue left from her side.

Kairi looked back, concerned. What were they going to do now? Afterwards, she headed back toward the medical tent. Sora noticed the look of concern on her face. It made him a little concerned as well. "What did you find out?"

She shook her head a little. "Well we're not getting back by the raft and there's no way back to the island right now. I guess we should catch the shuttle that's heading into the next city and find somewhere to stay there."

Sora stood up. "If that's what we should do." Sora stepped toward her and placed his hand on her shoulder as Kairi looked down uneasy. "We'll be alright. We'll wait it out until we can go home." She breathed out. The longer they wait to get back, the more someone was bound to notice that they were missing. They headed out of the tent with their bags toward the waiting shuttle. As they rode into the city, she gazed out of the window. Sitting beside her, Sora rested his head against her shoulder. His eyes were closed as he breathed softly in and out. He had been quiet since they rode. When she called for him, he didn't respond. It was then she realized that he must've fallen asleep. With everything he had done, she knew that he had to be tired. Apart of her felt bad for leaving him to stay up during the night to watch over her, but mainly she was grateful to have him there and safe.

Once they made it into city, they found a nice hotel to stay in. Kairi set up the arrangements at the front desk before they headed to their room. Once they walked inside, they saw one bed, a mini fridge, microwave, and sofa. They sat their stuff on the sofa. Kairi walked ahead and checked out the bathroom on the other side of the room. The inside looked really nice with a tub in front and a small shower boxed by glass on the side. It seemed they had all the necessities they needed. Sora plopped down on the bed with his back against it as he closed his eyes. He still felt exhausted. Kairi scooted in beside him. Her hand brushed against his hair. "You should sleep. I know you must be tired."

Listening, he moved further up on the bed and leaned against the pillows. Within seconds, he fell asleep. A concerned look appeared. He seemed very worn out still. She reached over and grabbed onto his hand. There were small bandages wrapped around parts of his fingers. Kairi let out a sigh and stood up. She never expected this to happen. She wondered if this trip was a bad idea. Afterwards, she went over to the chair where her bag was and searched through to make sure that everything was there. Afterwards, she searched through his bag to make sure everything he had was there. Inside, she spotted something familiar. She reached inside and pulled out the lucky charm she made. She couldn't help but smile. It made her happy that he kept it this whole time even when he traveled. As she held it in her hand, she walked over and placed a kiss against his forehead. The kiss didn't wake him at all. He must've been more exhausted than she first thought. Instead, he kept snoring. Silently, she giggled. Since he was sleeping, she figured she could do something nice for him. She changed into different clothes and headed out of the room. Neither one of them had eaten since the day before so she figured that he would be hungry after he woke up. Outside of the hotel, she found a local restaurant and grabbed some food for both of them.

* * *

Inside of the kitchen, Namine sat on a stool with her notepad as she listened to her mother frantically on the phone. Outside, she could hear the rain pouring down from the storm. "I've been trying to get in touch with Kairi, but her phone seems to be off. She mentioned that she was staying with a friend. I was wondering if she was with you."

Selphie shook her head as she sat in her room. "No! I haven't seen her since school was let out. Is everything okay?"

Her mother sighed, disappointed. "Everything is fine. If you see her, please tell her to call me." Namine listened as her mother continued to make more phone calls. Namine became more worried herself. No one had seen or heard from Kairi. Later, her father came and started to comfort her mother. "No one has seen her!"

They sat down at the table. "Calm down. I'm sure that we can figure out a way to find her."

Her mother looked concerned. "There has to be some way that we can."

"Maybe there's something we're missing. Let's check." They searched for clues around her room, but found nothing that would help. Her mother looked at her father. "Maybe I should call the police."

"Let's try her one more time," her father suggested. His wife nodded.

* * *

Inside of the hotel room, Kairi sat on the bed as Sora was still sleeping. In the background, the television was turned low so that it wouldn't wake him. Outside, she could hear the rain pouring down. It really was better not to travel back today. She wondered if they could tomorrow. All of a sudden, she heard her phone ring. Quickly, she picked it up so that it wouldn't wake him. "Yes?" she whispered.

"Kairi! Are you okay?!"

The yell was almost enough to take the phone away from her ear, but she was more surprised by who was at the other end. Since they were in the city, she must've had a signal again. "Y-Yes…I'm fine."

"We've been so worried about you! You said that you were visiting with a friend, but when I called everyone I knew, you were nowhere to be found! Where are you?! When are you coming home?!"

Nervously, she looked toward the side. "I…I'm not on the island… and I'm not sure when I'll be able to come home."

"What are you doing off of the island?!" After she asked her about what happened, Kairi explained where she had gone. Over the phone, she could hear her mother sighed.

"I'm sorry…" Kairi said quietly. Mainly, she was just relieved that Kairi was okay. Soon, Kairi broke the silence between them. "There's no need to worry. I'm fine. I just…can't get back to the island right now because of the storm."

"Yes… I heard that some places were badly hit. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Kairi assured her.

"It must've been dangerous for you to travel alone. The last time we spoke, you said that you were staying with a friend. Did someone else go with you?" There was a long silence before her mother spoke again, "Kairi…? This friend that you were spending time with…Would it happen to be with Sora?" Kairi's eyes widened in shock. She turned her head toward Sora who was still asleep. How did her mother figure that out? She remained silence so her mother continued, "I called around to all of your friends, but none of them knew where you were. Then, I called Sora's mother. She was worried about him as well and hadn't seen him. She happened to mention the same thing that he would be spending time with a friend of his." Kairi looked toward the side uneasy. There was another moment of silence. "Kairi?"

There was no use hiding it anymore. "Y-Yes… We were only planning to go away for a day and come back, but then the storm had hit. Now we're…here." She heard another heavy sigh over the phone. "I'm sorry about this. I'll let you know as soon as I can come back."

"I don't condone you taking off with him like this, but…" She let out another sigh. Mainly, she was just relieved that she was safe. "Just…be careful… Let me know as soon as you can come home…"

Kairi nodded. "I will."

"Are you okay otherwise? Do you have enough munny? Are you eating well?"

Kairi smiled a little. "Yes mom. Everything is okay. I will talk to you soon." After saying good bye, she hung up the phone. Kairi breathed out a sigh of relief. She was expecting to get yelled at, but things went smoother than expected. At least for now… When she looked over, she noticed a pair of blue eyes staring back at her. Nervously, she smiled. "Sorry…I didn't want to wake you. I tried to stay as quiet as I could."

Sora sat up on his elbows. "It's okay."

She smiled a little. "Are you hungry? I brought us some food."

Still a little tired, he leaned her head against her arm. "I could eat."

Kairi grinned. She was pretty sure that she heard his stomach growl as soon as he said that. She tried to get up, but she felt herself being held down by Sora's arm. She giggled as she fell backwards and accepted his embrace. "I can't warm it up for you if you don't let me up." Her fingers brushed through his hair.

"Are you in trouble?" he asked.

"Probably…" Kairi looked down at him. "But no matter what happens, I'm glad I came on this trip with you." She let out a smile. "You should probably talk to your mom soon before my mom does. I don't want you to get in too much trouble."

The two laughed a little and then looked at each other. "I'm just glad you're okay."

She let out grateful smile. "I'm all right thanks to you. You saved me again." She continued stroking his hair. "You were so brave out there…" she whispered. Her eyes lowered to a close as she embraced him. Worried built inside of her at the thought of what could have happened.

Curious, Sora tilted his head back toward her to see her worried look. He reached his hand up and brushed the tip of his fingers across her cheek. "Hey…" She grabbed onto his bandaged fingers and leaned her chin against his fingers as she closed her eyes. He sat up and turned toward her. "I'm okay. Really. Try not to think about it. It's over now." Kairi tilted her head toward his forehead as she closed her eyes. Sora smiled. "We're here now and it might be a while before we can get back, so let's enjoy it."

Kairi knew he was right. Sora was about to get up, but she pushed him back down. "I told you that I would get it. Just relax." There were no arguments from him. She grabbed the food from the fridge she bought earlier and heated it in the microwave. Together, they sat on the bed. As the watched television, they talked and laughed as they ate. When they were close to finished, she reached over and touched the tips of his hair. "I think it's time for you to wash your hair. It looks like you got some sand in it." Once an idea came to mind, she smiled. "I'll help you wash it!"

His fingers ran through his spikes. "You don't have to."

"I want to. Besides we should probably clean up after being in that storm," she suggested.

He nodded and agreed. "Sure! You can go first if you want. I'll probably take longer."

A light tint of red came to her cheeks as she looked down nervous. "Well…I was thinking…it would be easier for me to wash your hair if…we both went in together…" At her words, his eyes widened as his body froze. Slowly, his mouth stopped moving. Red appeared in his cheeks that matched hers. She noticed the expression on his face. "W-We don't have to…if you don't want to..."

Sora shook his head. No! No… It's not that!" As he looked toward the side, he scratched his cheek with his finger. "I mean…you don't have to…"

Kairi smiled to assure him. "I don't mind. It would be easier to wash your hair that way. We wouldn't have to rush waiting on each other." When he lifted his eyes, he could see her waiting for his response. Soon, he nodded. Nervously, she got up from the bed. "I'll…I'll…start the bath now if that's okay…" At a loss for words, he watched as she smiled and disappeared into the bathroom. Nearby, he could hear the water running. He was still stunned that she suggested the idea. After he heard the water stop, he started to get nervous. He stood up from the bed and headed inside.

From across the room, their eyes met. Bubbles filled the surface of the tub as she sat inside. Her clothes were folded on the floor nearby. Sora rubbed the back of his head uneasy as he tried to calm himself. "Are you sure you want me… in there...with you…?" She nodded as she gave a nervous smile. Blushing, he turned away from her as he grabbed the ends of his shirt and pulled it over his head. As he changed out of his clothes, Kairi looked away. A little heat flooding into her cheeks at the thought of what he was doing. Soon, he stepped in the bath on the opposite side of her.

Silence filled the room. Red came to both of their faces as they looked away from each other. This was another new experience for them, but one she was willing to take with him. Kairi pushed aside her nervousness and looked across from her. Relaxed, she reached for his arm as she smiled toward him. "Come on." Sora followed her gentle pull and had him sit in front of her. His back leaned against the front of her body as her legs were bent on both sides of his waist. Kairi reached over on the side of the bath and grabbed the shampoo. She rubbed the shampoo between her hands and then started rubbing it in his hair. She noticed that he was leaning away from her. She smiled toward him. She figured that he must've still been nervous about how they were. "Relax. I'm sure it's not often that someone gets to wash your hair," she joked. Her arms wrapped around his body which raised his nervousness. He could feel the front of her body pressed against his back. "It's just the two of us." Her eyes lowered to a close as she leaned the side of her head against his shoulder.

Sora breathed out and finally let himself lean against her. He became nestled between her legs as his head rested against her chest. He was surprised by how it felt to lean on her. It was like resting his head against pillow. Kairi let out a smile. She was glad to see him finally getting comfortable being around her. As her fingers rubbed shampoo through the strands of his hair, he tilted his head a little toward the side and opened his eyes. With a blush on his face, he glanced over toward her arm as he became curious. Soap covered over her chest. He turned his head back forward as he relaxed. _"It's not so bad…being like this."_

The two sat in silence as they relaxed. Several times her fingers ran through his spikes. They started to lean toward the sides. A curious thought came to her mind. Thoroughly, she brushed his hair down toward his neck. "When is the last time you really got into your hair? It stands up all the time." He shrugged against her. Then, a playful idea crossed his mind. He leaned his head back and rubbed his shampooed hair against her cheek. "Sora!" She saw the grin on his face as he tilted his head back and looked at her. She could see now what he was up to. A smirk appeared on her face. That was how he wanted to play...

Kairi splashed him with water as Sora moved back from her and used his hands to block. Both of them laughed loudly as they played around. All of their movement caused water to pour out of the tub from the side. He turned around fully toward her as they continued. His body pressed in close to hers as his hands grabbed onto her wrists so that she could no longer splash him.

All of a sudden, he noticed that her face changed into surprise, which he wondered why. As things were calm, his eyes traveled down. The soap that covered them was almost gone. He could see her uncovered body through the water. Then, he noticed how closely pressed he was between her thighs. The two stared at each other unsure of what to do next. Soon, he backed away toward to the other side of the bath. "Sorry…" he whispered nervously.

Kairi crossed her arms against her chest as she sat up and blushed a little. "It's okay…" she replied. She glanced over toward the shower that was nearby before she looked at him. "I should finish rinsing your hair. Don't want to get shampoo in your eyes." She stood and got out first. As one arm crossed over her chest, the other reached out toward him. He took her hand and stood up behind her. She led him over toward the shower. He sat on the bench that was inside as she used the detachable showerhead to rinse out the shampoo from his hair. Nervously, he looked down as she stood behind him. At first, he thought that things were awkward between them after what happened, but he noticed that she no longer seemed shy around him. Maybe she just felt more comfortable being open around him. "Wow!" her voice snapped him out of his thought. "You really do look different when you just let your hair hang." Kairi placed her finger to her chin. She slicked his hair toward the back of his neck. "That's a little better."

Sora grinned as he felt how slick his hair was. "You're going to make it back the way it was right? It's my signature look!" he joked.

She grinned as well. "Yes…!" Curious, she crossed her arms as she stared at him. "This takes some getting used to..."

Nervously, his eyes glanced at the floor. "Hey Kairi?"

Kairi snapped out of her thoughts. "Hm?"

He looked off to the side. "Isn't it strange…being like this…? Together…?"

She looked surprised, but then placed her arms behind her back. "I'll admit…it's a little strange… but…" She smiled a little. "...once we got used to being close to each other, I didn't really mind it. After all, it is just the two of us." She grabbed a towel that was hanging inside on the rack. "We'll have to see each other eventually…" When he lifted his head, he looked surprised. In front of him, she stood nervously as she had the towel over her arms. Red came to his cheeks, matching hers. "Right…?" Her words relaxed him more. She did make a good point. Then, he noticed the nervous look on her face. Kairi reached over and placed the towel over his head. "I'll…I'll finish drying…"

Things turned silence again. Then, Sora grabbed her arm, which she looked surprised. He looked up as he grinned. Then, he pulled her in closer toward him and pressed a kiss against her stomach, near her bellybutton. A small gasp left her lips as heat filled her cheeks. His unexpected reaction surprised her. "You're right." She grinned. Playfully, he blew against her stomach, which caused her to giggle.

She pressed the towel against his head and began drying his hair. "Stop it or I'll never get this done!" He listened and let her continue. A smile curved at her lips. After she was done, she straightened out his hair back toward his neck. For a moment, she took a good look at him. "You know? Maybe I could get used to this new look…" She placed her fingers toward her lips. "But I do like the old Sora look too." She grinned. "Either ways looks good on you." She placed the towel back on the rack. "It's getting late. I'll fix your hair tomorrow."

"Thanks Kairi." He took a moment to look at her before he gently smiled. "You look… really pretty…" Kairi looked over surprised as red rushed to her cheeks. Nervously, she walked away. Her reaction made him grin.

As the night went on, the two lied in bed together as they watched television. He lied on top of her stomach as she lied on her back. Things were peaceful as the night came to a close. Flipping through the channels, she managed to find a movie. "Do you mind if we watch this one? It's a romantic comedy."

"Up to you." He didn't mind whatever she watched. Quietly, they watched until it was over. She glanced down toward Sora. Since he didn't move, she assumed that he fell asleep again. Her fingers brushed lightly through his hair. It still took her some time to get used to his new hairstyle. Not tired yet, she flipped through some other channels. It didn't seem like there wasn't much on that late at night.

Eventually, she caught another movie on that she wasn't sure what it was about. As it went on, she looked surprised. Things had seemed romantic at first, but soon had turned into horror. Quickly, she raised her hand to her eyes unable to see the violent scene. Soon, she heard a laugh below her. Surprised, she jumped. She didn't realize that Sora was still awake. "What's so funny?"

Sora sat up on his hands. "I just remember watching this with my brothers once. I used to be scared when I was younger, but now it's just kind of funny how unreal it is." Kairi crossed her arms as she looked away, hoping that she wouldn't have nightmares. She turned off the television and placed the remote on the dresser. Sora took notice and pulled her beside him. "Can't sleep?"

Her head rested against his arm. "Maybe in a little while. Just not yet."

He leaned his head against hers. "Then I'll stay up with you."

She shook her head. "You don't have to. I know it's been a long day and you've been helping-."

"I don't mind. Besides if you're still scared, I know one thing that might help," he teased. His fingers tickled her stomach, which made her giggle.

"This isn't helping you know." She found a ticklish spot on his stomach, which made him laugh as well. She lied beside him on her side as she grinned and faced him. "I'm glad that we get to spend some more time together."

"Me too." Playfully, Sora moved toward her as he pulled the covers over them. She let a squeal. As they struggled against each other, they couldn't help but laugh with each other. He moved in over her and pinned her to bed, but she managed to reverse it and pinned him instead underneath her. Her hands rested against his chest as she sat on top of his waist. Their laughter died down. It felt good to let loose like they haven't in a long time. His fingers grabbed onto the edge of the shirt she wore. "I see you like wearing my shirts now."

Kairi grinned. She had to admit she took a liking to them. "What can I say? They're really comfortable." Sora smiled as he played with the edge of her shirt. He lifted it a little pass her legs and revealed her white underwear underneath. Her hands went on top of his and pushed them back down as she playfully leaned forward and kissed his lips. Once she let go of his hands, they went on top of her back. He rubbed her as her shirt slid up a little. Slowly, his hands slid downwards along her side. She moved toward his neck and pressed her lips against his skin. She placed a few kisses against his chest. As he closed his eyes, he breathed out. The way she teased him started to get to him. He could feel her hips rub against his lower half.

Anxious, he lifted up as she sat on top of him. The move surprised her. On his lips, she could see a smile, but in his eyes, she could see his desire. On and off, they kissed each other softly. His hand rubbed along her back as she rested her hands against his chest. Both of them relaxed as the room was only filled with sounds of them. Breath escaped from their bodies. Another feeling came over him. His fingers grabbed onto the edges of her shirt. Silently, Kairi raised her arms above her as he lifted the shirt over his head. Sora tossed it aside on the bed. Surprised, she placed her hands against his shoulders as she stared into his eyes. "Sora?"

Sora's arms wrapped around her waist. "If it's too much, we can stop." Another wave of silence came between them. He tilted his head as he tried to read her. Thinking that she had changed her mind, he reached for the shirt she wore before.

Then, he felt her hand touch the top of his. "Wait." His eyes met hers. She let out a smile. "I was just thinking about after you saved me the first time and we were like this." She put her finger to her lips as she grinned. "I thought we were alone that time. At least, I know we definitely are now." Sora remembered that time as well. Kairi's arms wrapped around his neck. "I meant what I said then. I want to be with you." The more she gazed into his eyes, the more she began to feel relaxed. She was ready to take the next step with him. She nodded. "It's okay."

Sora leaned his head against her chest with his eyes closed. "Let me know if you want me to stop okay?"

Kairi leaned her head against his. "Okay."

The two parted and let their eyes meet. "We'll take our time…Start slow." In return, she nodded.

XXX

Soon after, Sora leaned in as he moved the strands of her long, red hair aside and placed his lips to her neck. Her eyes lowered to a close. Inside, her body was nervous about how things would go, but soon, that was replaced with another feeling. A jolt went throughout her whole body. Her fingers lightly grabbed onto his broad shoulders. A sigh left from her. His lips traveled along her jawline to her lips. Sora turned both of them over as they continued to kiss. Her back pressed against the bed as he came over her. His lips traveled down the middle of her chest toward her bellybutton. The tickling sensation caused her to giggle a bit. A few kisses were placed near the edge of her underwear before he lifted up from her a little. She became curious as he crawled over her again.

Slowly, his tongue brushed against the raised center of her left breast. A new feeling crossed over her body. Heat traveled across her cheeks as she closed her eyes. He switched over and continued with the other. A small sigh escaped from her lips as she felt another jolt throughout her body. Slowly, he tantalized her with the tips of his fingers, tracing the edges in an endless circle. He continued to gently squeeze her breast as his tongue continued to stroke her. The feeling of pleasure was overwhelming. Over time, her legs spread further apart. The lower half of her began to ache unbearably. Restless, her hand grabbed onto his left hand and slid it down her stomach. His eyes lifted to see the yearning look on her face.

Quickly, she moved in and kissed him fiercely. The assertive move surprised him. As she caressed the side of his neck, her tongue brushed against his bottom lip. He followed her back down onto the bed as his hand pressed against her back. Anxious, her body rubbed against his, more determined with each passing moment. His hand slid from her back to the side of her waist. Inside, the teasing started to get to her more as she felt him graze the skin of her stomach. His hand slid further down against her skin and slipped into her underwear. Patiently, her body waited as she relaxed with her eyes closed. The tips of his fingers brushed against her entrance and moved upwards.

A deep, audible gasp left her lips. When he lifted his head, he saw the way she reacted to his touch. He figured he must've hit the right spot. Heavily, she panted as her lips were parted. She could feel more heat rise within her cheeks. Slowly, his finger caressed her. With each other stroke, her body became more overwhelmed with pleasure. Tightly, she grabbed onto the pillow near her head as she closed her eyes tight. Over time, her moans became a little louder as her back began to arch. She was close to reaching her end.

Then, she felt his hand slid from her. She wondered why he stopped when her body still felt on a high. Partly, she opened her eyes to him as she was panting. "Please…" she whispered. More than anything at that moment, her body wanted him to continue. The lower half of her throbbed uncontrollably. A little nervous, he stared down at her. She placed her hand on top of his that was at her hip. He slipped off her underwear and tossed them against the bed.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Hm." Kairi nodded as she opened herself more to him. He removed his boxers and moved them aside as well. His eyes traveled along her body. As he moved in closer, he pressed his hands against her legs. His body pressed in closer to her between her legs. Her knees hung up at his waist. Then, another thought crossed his mind, which made him stop in place. "What is it?" she asked anxious.

A concerned look came on his face. He remembered what happened recently with Xion and Roxas and didn't want to risk going through the same thing. He shook his head a little. "What if we accidentally…?" He started to get up. "Wait! I can get something to-."

Before he could get up, he felt her grab his arm. He looked down at her surprised. She smiled to assure him. "You're safe with me. We're safe." He looked at her curious. "Don't worry." He took a second before he nodded. He trusted her. He pressed in closer to her as she aligned her body with his. Soon, she breathed in deep as her eyes closed tight. She felt him push deep inside of her. Tightly, she grabbed onto his arm.

Sora looked down at her concerned. "Are you okay?"

After she opened her eyes to him, she nodded. "Yeah." She smiled toward him to assure him. In return, he smiled back. This would be the moment they would always remember. The moment they would connect as one.

Afterward, his body leaned against hers as he gently kissed her. Slowly, he moved back and forth to give her time to adjust to him. The palm of his hand slid from her wrist into her hand against the pillow. His fingers intertwined with hers. Afterwards, he could feel her fingers press down more between his knuckles. He didn't mind the feeling. At the same time, he could hear small sounds escape from her closed lips. Her eyes were closed as she continued to get used to him. He placed kisses along her neck and chest to help ease her pain.

Moments in, his eyes lowered to a close as he breathed out. The sensation of her felt overwhelming, unlike anything he had felt before. He felt pleasure throughout his whole body. After things felt easier, his body began to move faster as he thrusted harder. His hand tightened around her just as much as hers did. The other hand that was on the bed beside her began to tightened with the covers in hand. His nails began to dig into the mattress. It was almost too much. He held back as much as he could before he could reach his end.

The same pleasurable feeling returned to her. Underneath him, her body trembled. Her legs rose up more and pressed against the sides of his waists allowing deeper access inside of her. He could feel her insides getting tighter. Sound began to escape from his lips as he closed his eyes tight. He couldn't hold back any longer. Kairi's head tilted back with her eyes closed tight. The feeling inside of her only grew stronger with each push. Her nails dug deeper into his skin. "Sora…" she breathed. A line of cries left her. Her body had finally reached what it had been waiting for.

Sora slowed to a stop. Heavily, he breathed out. He released what was left inside of him. His body was drenched in sweat and drained of energy. Tired, he separated from her, still feeling the effect of his release spread throughout his body. When he lifted his head, he saw Kairi staring back at him. The only thing they could hear was each other's heavy breathing. Feeling the strength leave his arms, he lied his head down against her chest and shoulder. His eyes lowered to a close. The scent of her skin was soothing. Kairi wrapped her arms around his back as her legs pressed in at his waist as she closed her eyes. Like him, she needed a chance to rest.

* * *

After minutes of silence, Sora finally lifted up and lied beside her. Nervously, he looked toward her. "Was that…okay?"

She pulled the blanket over her chest and wrapped her arms around her stomach. The two stared at each other until she turned in toward his chest with her eyes closed. Doubt began to cast on him. Maybe she didn't like how their first time went. He wasn't sure what to say. He rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry…I…"

Soon, she sat up on her elbows. In the darkness, she blushed a little as she looked toward the side. "Yes…"

Curious, he looked at her. "Then what is it…?" He sat up on his elbow. Then, he smiled for comfort. "You don't have to say yes. I'm sure next time-."

She shook her head as she smiled nervous. "It's not that. It's just…I..."

He looked surprised and curious. "What?"

"What I said…" There was still a clueless look on his face. Embarrassed, she looked at him. "I…called for you…" she said quietly. She was sure that her face turned more red.

It took him a second as he thought back, then he grinned. "Oh! Right!" He couldn't help but think of how cute she seemed in that moment. "If you want, you can say my name more often now."

Playfully, she pushed against him as he laughed. Afterwards, he stretched and put his arms behind his head. She held the covers over her chest as she smiled down at him. A surprised look came on his face as she placed her face closer to his. "But I'm glad." Their foreheads pressed together as they grinned. "We should probably get cleaned up," she suggested. He stepped off of the bed first. Before she could, he reached and placed his hand on her back and underneath her knees. She looked at him surprised. "What are you doing?"

He grinned and picked her up. "Helping of course."

Later, the two sat covered in water and bubbles. He relaxed against the back of the tub as Kairi leaned against his chest with her eyes closed. A smile curved at his lips. It was ironic that they were right back to where they were hours ago, but this time, they weren't so nervous being around each other. He thought back to moments ago. Now he felt more connected to the girl that was most important to him. Curious, he leaned forward. She had been quiet since they lied together. His fingers brushed against the skin of her arm. "Kairi?" He tilted his head to get a better look at her face. As she breathed softly, her eyes were closed. He was surprised to see that she had already asleep. Again, he smiled. It couldn't be helped. She must've been really tired. "Kairi." She groaned, tired. After getting ready, they both returned to bed.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	36. Sibling Rivalry: A World of Our Own

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter!_

 _ _ _ **Also warning:** this chapter does have a little bit of lime in it  
___

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Namine side of the story)_

 _Chapter 35: A World of Our Own:  
_

The next morning, Sora rubbed his forehead against something soft. When he opened his eyes, the room was already filled with sunlight. In front of him, Kairi was still sleep on her side, with her back turned to him as she breathed softly. His arm hung around her waist. Thoughts of last night flooded into his mind before they fell asleep together. A smile crossed his lips. He had always felt connected to her, but now, it felt different. They had connected on a deeper level, in a way no one else had known but them. Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind. He slipped his arm from underneath her slowly. For a second, she moved as she let out a small groan, but stayed asleep. Carefully, he got up. Afterwards, he got dressed and left the room.

Later that morning, Kairi woke once she heard the door open. Slowly, she opened her eyes. She was greeted with a smile from across the room. "Morning!"

Her lips curved into a smile as she rubbed her eyes. "Good morning." Sora placed a plate down on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed. The smile never left his face at the sight of her. The way her skin glowed with the sunlight, the curve of her body in his shirt, and the way her hair was unkempt. Sora leaned in and greeted her with a morning kiss. She returned the kiss as she sat up and leaned against the pillows. Lightly, her fingers brushed against his jaw line. He parted from her as she grinned. "You're really happy this morning."

Sora moved in closer to her. Her legs pressed on the sides of his waist. "Maybe there's a reason for that." He placed several kisses against her lips. His hands slid against her waist, underneath her shirt as he pressed his body on top of hers.

"Ow…" she whispered.

Once he heard her, he stopped . Curious, his eyes met hers. "What is it?"

Nervously, she smiled. "Still a little…sore."

Sora sat up as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry…about that…"

Kairi smiled to assure him she was fine. "It's okay."

Afterwards, he looked over toward the nightstand. "I brought breakfast!"

Kairi looked over toward the stand as well. "Thank you." She grabbed a piece of fruit along with him and started eating. An idea crossed his mind as he watched her. She reached over and placed a grape in her mouth. Afterwards, he moved in and pressed his lips against her before she could eat. His tongue slipped in between her lips and grabbed the whole grape from off her tongue. The action made her blush, stunned. "Wha-what are you doing?"

"Usually when something hurts, you kiss it to make it better, right?" he mumbled as he still held the piece of fruit in his mouth. Kairi wondered what he meant. He moved further down toward her legs. He slipped off her underwear, which she looked curious. "Sora-?"

She leaned forward as she tried grab the piece of fabric, but he kept it away from her. Sora grinned toward her. "You said this trip was about exploring, right?"

Kairi turned quiet at her own words. Since she didn't stop him, she followed along. Sora lied down on his stomach in front of her. As she waited, hungrily, she reached over. She grabbed another piece of fruit and ate. Suddenly, her body jumped once she felt his head brush against her legs. Gently, he placed a kiss between her thighs. Instantly, a blush crossed her face. She managed to catch what she was eating before it had reached her throat. The sensation felt different than what he tried the night before. "What-?" His hands grabbed onto her hips and pulled her further down to where her hips laid flat. Before she could ask what he was up to, he rolled the piece of fruit he held to the front of his mouth and squeezed the citrus from his lips. She could feel the wet sensation drip on her. He swallowed the rest before he moved in close. He pressed a few butterfly kisses on each thigh before he went toward the center. His tongue caressed against the soft, swollen spot. Heat flooded her face as her eyes widened and she looked down. "W-W-Wait…! You…You don't…have to…"

Eventually, her eyes lowered to a close as her words faded off. With each slow, tantalizing stroke, she resisted him less until she gave up completely. A sigh escaped her lips. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but it was working. As her body relaxed, his hand slid against her stomach underneath her shirt and caressed her right breast. Her lips parted. The feeling of pleasure grew inside of her until it overwhelmed her. A moan escaped from her lips as she tilted her head upwards. She tried to contain her cries as best she could, but they still slipped from her lips. She grabbed on tight to the pillow behind her as she closed her eyes. Her body began to shake. She could feel warm liquid seep between her thighs. Afterwards, she slipped from underneath him. He looked surprised. When he lifted his head, he saw her sitting up on the front of her legs breathing softy as her cheeks were still warm. Her fingers pulled down the shirt she was wearing a little over her legs.

Afterwards, he sat up as he smiled. "Feel any better?"

Nervously, her eyes traveled between him and the bed. "I-I guess… you could say that," she joked. He reached over and started eating food from the plate. As he ate, she chuckled silently to herself as she looked at his hair. She reached over and pushed some of the strands of his hair behind him.

His fingers ran through his hair once more. "You're going to make it like it was, right?"

She nodded. "Yes. Although..." Kairi played with his hair a little. "This might take a while…"

Later, Kairi stood behind him as he sat in a chair in the bathroom. Her eyes glanced between the pictures she had of him on her phone and his hair. It wasn't long before she realized that it was going to be harder than she originally thought. Sora tilted his head up, curious. "How's it going?"

"Um… It's…" Finally, she sighed as she admitted defeat. An hour and a half had gone by, but she hadn't made any progress. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "We…might need a little help on this…"

* * *

"Can you make it look like this?" Kairi showed a picture to the hair stylist. Further down the street from the hotel, they found a salon and decided to take the chance.

The tall, slender man put his hand to his chin as he gave a small pout. "Sure. It's going to take some time and it is short notice…"

"Please?" she pleaded.

"I do have an opening. I can do it now." The man turned Sora around in his chair as he looked surprised. "It will look better than it has before!"

As the man worked, things became boring while Kairi waited. Through the waiting room window, she noticed all of the people walk by. Since it would take some time, she stood up and went outside. In the meantime, she returned the calls of her friends who had been worried about them and spoke with her mother once more. Afterwards, she walked in the small city toward the beach and noticed a sign which caught her attention. "A festival?" According to the poster, there were some events going on tonight that she thought could be interesting. It was better than staying inside of a hotel, especially in a city they had never been in before. All of a sudden, she heard her phone ring. She received another call that snapped her out of her thoughts. "Hello? …Oh!" She checked the time. She didn't realize how much had passed by since she left Sora with the stylist. She walked a few minutes up the street and back to the salon. As soon as she headed inside and looked around, she almost bumped into another person that headed toward her. "Excuse-." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something familiar about the person she bumped into. Once she turned more toward them, her eyes widened in surprised. "Sora!"

Sora flashed her a smile. Even though it was the same hairstyle, somehow, he looked different than before. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. Lightly, her fingers grabbed onto the tips of his hair. They were cut a little shorter and seemed to fit his face. Somehow, it made him look more mature. The stylist stepped toward them and crossed his arms as he held a comb in his hand. "Doesn't he look handsome?"

Kairi nodded and grinned toward Sora. "He always has." Sora's smile widened as he rubbed his finger underneath his nose.

"If you want…I have time to do yours as well."

Kairi blinked surprised at the stylist suggestion. "I don't know…" Sora placed his hands on her shoulders, which she looked back. He pushed her forward and smiled as a way of telling her to go for it. "Okay…" she relented.

After a couple of more hours, they both stepped outside of the salon. They managed to get out by the late afternoon. Sora looked over at her to take in her new look. "Your hair looks nice."

"Hm?" Kairi grabbed onto the end of her strands. It was a little shorter and hung slightly above her shoulders. Then, her eyes glanced over and noticed that he had a small tear in his jacket. "Hmm…" She placed her hands behind her back as an idea came to mind. "Maybe we should do a little shopping too."

He became a little worried at the munny they were spending. "But-." Before he could object, Kairi pulled onto his hand and lead the way further into town.

* * *

"That looks great on you!" Kairi's head rose from her hand as she smiled. Sora stepped out in a gray jacket and pants with a black tank top underneath. It had more buttons than zippers than his last set. It seemed to go well with his new haircut. Sora looked down at himself and smiled. They were both in agreement. Afterwards, they switched places. She changed into a new outfit and stepped out to show him. She smiled. "What do you think?"

He nodded. "It looks great!" She found a new dress similar to the pink one she had before with a pink hood that had ears on top. They shopped a little more before heading back to the hotel to drop off their stuff.

As they packed away what they bought, Kairi looked back toward Sora. "I saw there was a lot of stuff going on tonight. Food, games, and there's going to be fireworks on the beach. Would you like to go with me?"

He nodded toward her as he smiled. "Sure! Sounds like fun! It would be nice to get out of the hotel." Afterwards, he changed into his new outfit they bought today. When he looked over toward the bathroom, he saw Kairi step out in a white, strapless sundress that stopped a little above her knees. It had blue ribbon wrapped around the top and tied around the waist and little blue flowers imprinted on the dress. At her feet, she wore sandals with straps over her feet and wrapped around her ankles. Nervously, she smiled as she placed her hands behind her back and walked up to him. His surprise changed into a gentle smile. "Wow…" Sora rubbed the back of his head, feeling a little nervous around her. "You look really nice."

Kairi nodded. "Thanks. You too."

He opened his jacket a little as he looked down. "You mean this old thing?" Kairi laughed, which he followed after. He held out his hand and let her arm wrap around his. "Shall we?"

She nodded and grin. "We shall."

* * *

The sidewalks were filled with the sounds of people and music. As they walked around, she pointed at different booths for them to check out. They stood as they tried different foods. She would hold up some for him to take a bite out of. After trying different things, they finished by getting ice cream. Playfully, she pushed the ice up toward his lips and nose. She let out a grin. In return, he done the same with her, which caused both of them to laugh. Soon, another sound caught their attention. "Hey you!"

Sora looked over surprised as an older gentleman in one of the booths stared at him across the way. He pointed toward himself. "Who me?"

The man nodded as he waved them over. "Yes! Play a game and you could win a prize for your lovely girlfriend."

Kairi tilted her head toward Sora as she grinned. Sora looked at her unsure. "Um…? I guess I can give it a try."

Then, a playful smirk came on Kairi's face. "We could see who can win the better prize for who."

Sora grinned. He felt a little more motivated to play. "All right then. Bring it on!" Kairi grinned and they both rushed toward the booth. Each grabbed a ball and tossed it into the different holes to score points. The two laughed and joked as they competed against each other. After they were done, they headed away from the booth. Kairi let out a loud sigh. Sora smiled for comfort. "Don't feel bad. I didn't score very high either."

Kairi smiled, disappointed. "That wasn't the point. I couldn't win anything for you..."

Sora looked down at the small bear in his hand. Then, a grin came to his face. "That's fine because I've already won something better..." Kairi looked at him curious. Sora handed her the bear that she picked out. "You." A small blush came to her face as she accepted the bear from him. Nervously, she turned her head away from him, which caused him to grin.

As the night came to an end, they walked hand in hand along the edge of the beach, near the water. Bright lights hit the sky. Soon, they found a dock to sit on. The two sat beside each other as they gazed up at the fireworks. Sitting on the dock reminded them of home. Out of the corner of her eye, Kairi noticed a few people running out onto the beach. She watched as a woman in a wedding dress playfully dance with her groom as their friends surrounded them with sparklers. She could hear their laughter from afar. A smile couldn't help but come on her face. Then, a thought ran across her mind. She looked forward along with Sora toward the sky. Beside him, he heard her giggle. "Hey Sora?"

He became curious. "Yeah?"

She nodded toward the side. He noticed the people celebrating nearby. Then, she pointed toward a building in town. "Since we're here… we could go to that chapel over there and..." she teased.

He blinked, surprised. "What?"

"Let's do it! Let's elope!" she sounded excited.

Sora jumped a little. He couldn't believe what she was saying. "Huh?!"

Kairi grinned. "We already ran off, so let's go! Let's elope tonight!"

His eyes searched her. Then, without hesitation, he nodded as he smiled. "Let's do it!"

Her eyes widened, stunned as her lips parted. She wondered if he was serious. "What…?"

He grinned toward her. "Let's get married Kairi!"

Red flushed her face as she was at a loss for words. "I-I…" she started to stutter.

"Just kidding!" He let out a laugh. Instantly, he felt Kairi push him as she pouted, embarrassed and upset. "Sounds familiar?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Familiar?"

"Years ago, you said for us to take the raft and go sailing ourselves and then you said you were just kidding." He leaned back on his hands. "Sorry! I couldn't help it. Isn't that what you were going to say?"

Kairi pushed him one more time. It seemed that he caught onto her joke. Things turned quiet. She brushed her fingers through her hair as she could feel the wind from the ocean. Silently, she breathed out. "Have you… ever thought about…?" she asked a little nervous.

"Kind of…" He noticed that she seemed a little nervous. He smiled toward her. "Our destines are intertwined. No matter what, we'll remain a part of each other's lives, so it's bound to happen, right?"

She smiled and nodded. "Right!" A gentle smile came on her face. She leaned her head against his shoulder as she gazed out over the ocean. "It doesn't matter when it happens…" she whispered. "…as long as I'm with you, I'm happy…"

Her words caused a smile to form on his lips. They were touching to him. Her eyes lowered to a close as she relaxed and he gazed down toward the ocean, smiling. "If I ask you…what would you say…?" he whispered.

She lifted up from him and nudged him with her elbow. "You already know the answer…"

The two looked at the ground as they smiled. Soon, the fireworks died down. He looked at her. "Wanna head back?"

"Yeah," she whispered gently. Her hand slipped comfortably into his. Together, they headed back into their room. Kairi smiled lovingly. "Thank you for tonight."

He grinned back toward her. "It was fun."

Kairi stepped in front of him with her hands behind her back. Her hips swayed slightly from side to side. Curious, he watched her. Only the moonlight from outside lit the room, revealing the curves around her body. He sensed the mood in the room had changed. She moved in close, leaving barely any distance between them. Before he could speak, her lips kissed his softly. The move caught him by surprise. As he gave into her sensual kiss, his eyes lowered to a close as he kissed her back. His arms wrapped around her back and pressed her closer against him.

A few seconds later, she parted from him as they both breathed out. She opened her eyes to his. She slipped her hand into his and lead him forward. She guided him to the edge of the bed. Still curious, he sat down. His eyes followed hers as she sat on top of his legs and her knees pressed into the bed at his sides. She leaned forward as she placed her hand on the side of his cheek and continued to kiss him. His eyes opened after she parted from him. She reached behind her and pulled down her zipper against her back. The dress lowered down toward her waist. Surprised, his eyes lifted up to hers. "Kairi…" he whispered.

Before he could ask, her lips met with his again. His hands wrapped around her waist, giving into her. She pulled his jacket off of his shoulders and slipped her hands underneath his shirt. The two parted for a moment as she lifted his shirt over his head. He placed kisses along her jaw line onto her neck and down the center of her chest. Her hands caressed along his firm stomach down toward his belt. She tossed the rest of his clothes against the floor that followed by her own. He leaned back against the front of the bed as she leaned forward on top of him, still keeping their lips locked to each other. His hand grazed against the skin of her back toward her hips. She leaned in and kissed his neck. He breathed out as he closed his eyes. His body felt more relaxed. Her lips along with her hand traveled from his chest down to his stomach, down toward his hips. A deep sigh left as his lips parted and his eyes closed. His body lied in a state of pure bliss. A few times, he breathed out. Soon, she sat up and slowly slid her hands across his chest to his stomach. Their eyes never left each other. After she settled herself on top of him, another sigh left his lips. He had become completely lost in her...

The next morning, the sound of the phone echo throughout the room. A groan escaped from Sora's lips as Kairi closed her eyes tight at the rang. She reached over and grabbed her phone. "Hello…?" she answered, tired. She sat up as she listened with her phone pressed to her ear. Afterwards, she looked down. "I'll see you soon." Afterwards, she placed the phone aside onto the dresser.

Sora sat up beside her on his elbows. "Is everything okay?"

Kairi looked over at him. Through her tiredness, he could see her disappointment. "It looks like we can go home now. We should be able to catch a boat back to the island."

Sora breathed out disappointed as well. "I guess our vacation is over…"

Kairi sighed as she stared at the covers. "I guess so… It was fun while it lasted…" Her eyes traveled over to him. "…but we can always come back, that is…" She let out a short laugh. "…if we don't get grounded forever…" A smile couldn't help but stay on his face as she looked at him. The way she glowed in the lighting of the sun, the smile on her face, the way her hair looked ruffled after waking, it made him glad that they were able to get away. She grinned toward him. "What is it?"

"I'm just happy. That's all," he answered.

"Hmm… Right…" She nudged him with her elbow. "I guess we better get ready and packed."

He groaned a little. "I guess…" The two stared at each other before she leaned in with her head against his shoulder and her eyes closed. Their moment in paradise had come to an end. Like her, he was really going to miss the last few days they spent together, just them.

After a few hours, they managed to catch another boat headed back to the island. The fresh, salted air hit their faces. The sound of the ocean waves could be heard loud and clear. Kairi opened her eyes after relaxing with the wind on her. Both Sora and Kairi leaned against the rail of the boat. In the distance, they could see the islands. Soon, they would be home again.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update!_


	37. The Other Side: Pulling Me Back In

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter!  
_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 36: Pulling Me Back In:_

Vanitas stood in his room as he stared down. His cellphone kept ringing in his hand. He watched it until it stopped. It was him again...Xehanort. For weeks, he called him, but Vanitas didn't answer. He kept true to his promise to Aqua. He was surprised that no one had brought him back to the organization.

"Hey!" Vanitas snapped out of his thoughts and turned around. Aqua walked into the room with a smile.

He walked over toward her as he placed his phone in his pocket. "I see you broke into my house okay."

She let out a giggle. "You left the door unlocked. You shouldn't do that." Vanitas smirked and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her into a kiss. After a few seconds, Aqua broke them apart. "Are you coming?"

Vanitas sighed with his eyes closed. "Do I have to…? You always drag me into stuff."

Aqua nudged his side, upset. "I don't drag you anywhere..." The thought of dinner with her adoptive parents made her rethink that. "Not always…"

Vanitas scratched the back of his head as he gave a dull stare. "You know I'm going to see you at your little practice."

Aqua frowned. "It's not some practice. This will be my final test."

He gave her a faint smirk. "I know. When do I get a chance to see my girl kick butt more often?"

She wrapped his arms around his neck. "Maybe if someone actually joined the class with me…"

Vanitas frowned as he slowly pushed her away. "No... Isn't walking you home from there enough?" Then, a sly smirk appeared. "Besides, if you want to fight, we can do it here. I might even let you pin me down more often." She blushed as she looked nervous. Somehow, he always managed to slip in a comment like that.

Later that day, Vanitas stood near the door and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. When he looked over, he saw Aqua's friends and family sitting on the benches, cheering. He didn't want to take the chance of getting into another argument with her mother. They didn't seem to notice him. On the floor, he saw there were students dressed in white shirts and pants that wore different colored belts. He turned his attention to the middle of the room. Aqua stood beside the leader of the dojo. "Aqua. Your opponent tonight..." He pointed over to the person who stood on the other side of the room, opposite of where Vanitas was standing.

Aqua's opponent stepped forward as he looked serious. Aqua bowed toward her master. "Yes Master Eraqus." Then she stepped forward.

Master Eraqus stepped near the two rivals. "Now the battle will commence between Aqua and her opponent Terra in which, if I see fit, you will receive your black belts." He stepped away from the two. "Get ready to begin." Aqua and Terra bowed toward each other. Vanitas watched the two. A little part of him was still bothered about the two of them, but not as much as before, especially since he felt that Aqua and he had grown closer. He trusted that she loved him. "And…Begin!" Master Eraqus ordered.

Aqua and Terra began to fight against each other. The two were equally matched, putting all their years of experience into their fight. Toward the end, Aqua started to get the better of Terra, matching his every move and getting faster as far as her own attacks. Terra began to stress. Finally, he pulled a move of his own. He struck at her knee which made her kneeled down to the ground. Master Eraqus looked surprised. He stepped in. "Stop!" Aqua stood up. Her leg was fine, but felt a little weird where he struck. Master Eraqus looked over at Terra. "That was an illegal move. You cannot do that. You know better." Terra looked toward the side. He didn't mean to strike her like he did or possible injury her, neither did he want to be called out for something like that. Master Eraqus placed his hands in his sleeves. "I have seen enough. The match is over."

Aqua looked at him concerned. She felt that it wasn't enough for her belt. The rest of the students stood up as Vanitas watched. They lined up into rows. After a few minutes, Master Eraqus turned to his students. "Aqua. Terra. Could you come up please?" The two stepped out of line and bowed. They stood in front of him. Master Eraqus glanced between both of them. "You both fought admirably, but I decided to grant only one their final belt." Everyone in the room looked at him curiously. Finally, Master Eraqus spoke. "Aqua." At first, Aqua was stunned by the outcome. She was sure that Terra would get his belt or they both would. When she snapped out of her thoughts, she kept her serious look and bowed. Both Aqua and Terra turned toward each other and bowed. Afterwards, they turned to Master Eraqus. Terra felt disappointed and upset for what he done during the fight.

Afterwards, everyone was dismissed. Aqua looked over toward Vanitas. From across the room, she smiled at him as he smirked back. He could tell that she was happy and he was happy for her. Master Eraqus walked over. "Aqua?" She turned around surprised. In his hand, he had her black belt. "I think you deserve this."

She smiled and graciously took it from his hand. She bowed. "Thank you Master Eraqus."

He smiled. "Soon the students here will be able to call you Master. I can show you some other techniques I think you're ready to learn."

She smiled. "Thank you so much."

Master Eraqus nodded before he walked off. Soon, Aqua's friends and parents approached her excited. Vanitas watched as they spoke with her. The smile on her face made him happy. Nearby, he noticed Master Eraqus speak with Terra. Then, he noticed something else out of the corner of his eye. On the other side of the room, his eyes met with that of another's. From afar, Vanitas could see the anger and disappointed on his brother's face. Words never left from either one of them. Soon, Ventus turned and walked away. It looked like nothing would change between them. Vanitas turned his attention back to Aqua. Since it seemed like it would be some time before she would leave, he walked out of the door.

After Aqua packed her stuff, she headed outside. She wondered where Vanitas went. When she looked toward the side of the building, she saw him leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Aqua smiled. She was glad he didn't leave yet. "See…? Aren't you glad you came tonight?"

He smirked a little. "To know my nagging woman can fight, I guess so." Aqua pushed him for the comment. Silently, he snickered. Before they left, Terra stepped out and met them outside. He smiled despite how disappointed he was. "Congratulations Aqua."

Vanitas frowned. It still didn't make him happy at the thought that he got to kiss his girl. Aqua smiled a little. "You weren't so bad yourself."

Uneasy, Terra looked down toward the side. "I could've serious hurt you."

Aqua shook her head and smiled to assure him. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

Terra smiled a little. He placed his hand on her shoulder, which Vanitas arched his eyebrow. Now he was getting too close. "That's good to hear. I'll see you later then."

She smiled. "Yeah. See you later!" Afterwards, Terra left. Aqua looked over at Vanitas who had a frown on his face. She grabbed his chin and turned his head toward her. "Don't tell me you're jealous." Vanitas slipped his head from her hand and looked away. Aqua shook her head with her eyes closed. She grabbed his hand as she gave a dull look. "Come on…" she moaned. As they talked, Terra glanced back. A surprised looked came on his face. He watched as the two walked away hand in hand. Aqua and Vanitas headed home. "How many times do I have to tell you-?"

He stopped and grabbed her waist, making her spin around to him. He smirked a little. "That you love me."

She placed her hand on his chest, upset. "Yes."

"Hm. I know. That still doesn't mean I have to like the guy." Vanitas leaned in and gently pressed his lips against her for a second. He opened his eyes to stare into her beautiful blue ones. "I know you love me. I trust you."

She turned her head still upset at him. "Just get over it."

"Don't get mad at me. Just be happy that you kicked his butt tonight." He noticed that she wasn't given in. He sighed. "Fine. If it's that bad to want you all to myself, then what's the point of having you?"

She turned her head. She became less upset that he said that. "Still... I just don't want things ending up like they did the first time."

Vanitas shook his head. "It won't."

That brought some relief to her. "Okay."

Vanitas smiled. "I might need to take you on in a fight."

She looked surprised. "Why?"

He smirked. "To see if I can still fight. Since you're not getting into any more trouble like you use to, there hadn't been a need to use my fists."

Aqua leaned close onto his arm. "Let's just keep it that way." As they walked, a pair of eyes watched them closely from across the street. Afterwards, they headed further into the alley to report what they had seen.

* * *

The next morning, Aqua and Vanitas walked together toward school. His fingers were intertwined with hers as they talked. Nearby, the same person who watched them last night wore shades over their eyes. For now, they didn't do anything, but waited until the time was right.

Later that night, Aqua left from her fighting class as usual. She walked around as she waited. She figured Vanitas was running late to walk her home. Finally, she stopped in front of a store window and looked inside. A mannequin posed near the glass flaunting a light blue dress that was for sale. Behind her, two people walked toward her. "Hey!" Aqua looked over curious. Once she saw who they were, she instantly became on edge. She recognized the man with a scar on his face. Xigbar let out a smirk. "It's been a while…" She stepped back, but then felt her back hit something. When she turned around, she saw Lexaeus with his arms crossed, blocking her way. Before she could make a move, Xigbar pulled out a gun. "Whoa…! No sudden moves. You're coming with us." Aqua glanced between the gun and the smirk on his face. "That boyfriend of yours has been missing a lot of work lately and our boss is not happy about that. You wouldn't know why that is, would you?" Aqua pressed down on her teeth as she tried to think of the best option to get away. Xigbar waved his fingers. "Nice and easy. Let's go."

Aqua remained calm and quickly knocked the gun from his hand. Xigbar was stunned at first, but then looked upset. Aqua took off running. Xigbar and Lexaeus ran after her. Xigbar pulled out his phone. "A little help!" he yelled into it.

Out of the alleyway, Demyx jumped in front of her as he smirked. "I got ya!" Aqua ran toward him and knocked him down with the back of her fist. Demyx let out a loud yell as he fell back on the ground. Xigbar stopped beside him. Demyx covered his nose after he saw blood on the ground. "I think she broke my nose!"

Xigbar ran. There was still the mission to catch the girl. "Suck it up!"

Aqua glanced back before she looked forward. Suddenly, she felt something grab onto her wrist. Another man stepped in with long black hair. "Let me go!" They headed toward the alley.

Xaldin smirked toward her. "It's right what they say. You are a handful." Aqua used her other hand to punch forward. She raised her knee into his stomach, which made him let go. Lexaeus came toward her. When he tried to grab her, she dodged out of the way.

Once she stepped backwards, she felt something in her back. Xigbar smirked as he had his gun in his hand. "Enough playing around. Let's go." The others surrounded her as well. All of them walked into an alleyway.

Aqua looked back toward them upset. "Why don't you just let Vanitas go?! He doesn't want to do this anymore!"

Demyx groaned as he walked behind the others. "Guys! My nose won't stop bleeding!"

Xigbar frowned back toward him. "Just tilt your head back! Anyway..." He tapped his gun against his shoulder. "It's not my call. He knows too much... You know too much too..." Xaldin pushed her toward the wall. Aqua turned to them upset as she pressed on her teeth. Serious looks were on Xaldin's and Lexaeus's face as Demyx looked upset as he covered his face with his hand. Xigbar leaned forward with a devious smirk. "Did you really think he could get out of the organization just like that? We let you two have your fun, but now, it's time we got down to business." Lexaeus moved a cloth toward her. Xigbar smirked. "Make sure you breathe in deep." Aqua knocked his hand away. Lexaeus leaned in and wrapped his hand around her neck. Aqua closed her eyes tight. "Don't hurt her too much." Xigbar moved the cloth over her nose and mouth. Soon, her body stopped struggling and became loose. She lost consciousness. Lexaeus threw her body over his shoulder. Xigbar reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "Let's get back."

Vanitas ran toward the dojo so that he could meet with Aqua. He was aware that he was running late and hoped that she was still there. When he looked inside of the window, he saw that the place was dark. Vanitas sighed. He didn't think he was that late. "Did she already leave without me?" Suddenly, he heard his phone ring in his pocket. Once he saw that it was Aqua's number, he became relieved. Maybe she was still nearby. "Hey! Where-?"

" _You finally picked up. It's about time."_ Vanitas's heart dropped in his chest. His eyes widened once he heard the familiar voice. It wasn't Aqua's. He was left speechless. _"I know you have been ignoring my calls Vanitas. I have something important here for you or should I say…someone if you want to see them again."_

His eyes widened more once things clicked in his mind. Why else would Xehanort have Aqua's phone? "Where is she?"

"You know where. Let's talk." Then, he heard a click followed by silence. Vanitas took the phone away from his ear and saw that he hung up. A growl left his lips. They had taken Aqua again. He had no choice but to do what Xehanort wanted.

* * *

Aqua opened her eyes. She felt the hard floor underneath her. She moaned and looked around. There was only a table with a chair in the room and a couch nearby. Aqua recognized the warehouse where she first discovered Vanitas's secret. She looked over to see a man standing nearby with his hands behind his back. On guard, she stood up. "I see… You're awake."

Aqua looked upset. "You…? You're that guy that Vanitas used to work for."

Xehanort turned around as he gave a faint smirk. "Used to I see... You might want to sit down for this."

Aqua looked a little worried. "Just let Vanitas go! We won't tell anyone about this. I promise."

Xehanort looked serious. "I'll deal with Vanitas once he arrives." The news stunned Aqua. She didn't know Vanitas was already on his way. Xehanort held up his hand. "Have her ready." Before Aqua could say anything, Lexaeus placed another cloth over her mouth and nose. She began to lose consciousness again. Xehanort looked back at her. "I'm sure you don't want to be awake for this." She tried to fight it, but couldn't. She didn't want to be vulnerable or be used for his plan, but it couldn't be helped. She closed her eyes as she fell back onto the floor. Xehanort chuckled lightly. "I told her that she should sit down for this one."

Outside, Vanitas ran down the alley. He headed toward the warehouse where he usually met Xehanort. When he got close, he saw Demyx with tissues up his noses as he looked upset and Xaldin as he frowned. It seemed they were waiting for him to show up. Vanitas slowed down and walked passed them, keeping a close eye on both of them. He looked over at Demyx. "What happened to you?"

Demyx groaned. "That girl of yours happened!"

Vanitas smirked. "At least she put up a fight." He stepped inside.

Demyx waved his fist. "Hey!"

Vanitas searched around as he became on edge. "Vanitas." He looked over to see Xehanort stepped toward him.

"Xehanort." Vanitas growled. His fist baled tight at his side. "Where is she?!"

Xehanort looked over toward the corner. "She's fine. She's right there." Vanitas looked down to see Aqua on the floor with her hands tied together in front of her, unconscious. Worried, he went over to her. He placed his hand on her arm. "Aqua." She didn't respond. He let her head lean against his chest. "Aqua!" He removed the ropes from her hands.

Xehanort stepped closer. "We didn't do anything to her. We just knocked her out peaceful so that we could talk."

Vanitas picked up and carried her in her arms. "You bastard! If you want to come after me fine, but keep her out of this! You hear me?!" he raised his voice toward the end.

He was about to walk out, but Xehanort just smirked. "This won't be over until you talk to me."

Vanitas turned to him. "Fine, but she's not a part of this."

Vanitas turned to leave, but Lexaeus stepped in and closed the door. Vanitas looked back at Xehanort. "No. We're going to talk about this now. I suggest you put her down." Vanitas growled. He had no choice. He couldn't fight and protect her at the same time. "We won't hurt her as long as you listen to what I have to say." Vanitas walked over and placed her back into the corner where he found her. As he watched her sleep, he just hoped that they could get out of this. As soon as he stood up and turned around, a fist met against his face. Vanitas fell back and grabbed onto the table so that he wouldn't fall. Vanitas breathed out. It had been a while since he felt Lexaeus's punch. Xehanort stepped forward. "Vanitas. You know you just can't leave our little family here."

Vanitas lifted his head up slowly and glared. "You don't need me for that!" Lexaeus walked over to Vanitas and punched him in the stomach. Vanitas coughed out as his eyes widened. He kept his hands tight against the table and tried to suppress the pain he felt. "If you think I'll tell anybody about this, I won't!"

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't." Xehanort looked over at Aqua. "But what about your little girlfriend?"

Vanitas stood up. "She hasn't told anyone. Just leave her out of this."

Xehanort let out a smirk. "You should come back to work for me again."

Vanitas growled. "No!" he shouted.

Xehanort closed his eyes. He started to lose patience again. "Maybe you should take more time to think about this Vanitas."

Lexaeus made Vanitas stand up and struck him again in the stomach. Vanitas fell back against the wall. He held his head down as his bangs covered his eyes. "Is this your way of threatening me?" Hatred seeped through his voice.

Xehanort smirked. "No. It's not a threat Vanitas. You chose to turn your back on me. I warned you about this before."

Vanitas smirked. "This is your weak attempt to bring me back?" Xehanort let out a frown. "I don't want to be a part of this anymore, so get over it." Vanitas stood up off the wall and turned to walk toward Aqua. Lexaeus kneeled Vanitas in the stomach. Blood spilled out of his mouth and splashed against the floor. Vanitas fell to his hands and knees. He wiped the blood from his lips. "You don't need me so just let me go! Get one of your other boys to do your dirty work! I'm not coming back!"

Lexaeus looked over at Xehanort. Inside, Xehanort was a little surprised. It seemed that Vanitas resisted him more than before. He noticed Lexaeus waiting for his next order and nodded. Afterwards, Lexaeus continued his assault on Vanitas. Blood rolled down his face from his constant punches. Lexaeus stomped his foot down onto Vanitas's hand with his boot which made Vanitas lift his head and cry out. He could hear the slight crack of bone. The pain reminded him of what he suffered before at Lexaeus's hand. Xehanort frowned toward him. "This is what you want? To back to what you were? Pathetic! Look at the girl!" Lexaeus stopped and pulled Vanitas's hair back to make him look at Aqua. It would have been easier if it was just him in this, but they pulled Aqua into it too. He couldn't risk her life. Lexaeus threw him at Xehanort's feet.

Vanitas glared at Xehanort. "I told you to keep her out of this!"

Xehanort held out his hand. "Join me and I will." Vanitas growled. He had enough of all of it. Vanitas struggled to stand up. He turned around and punched Lexaeus hard against the face despite his pain. Afterwards, he headed toward Xehanort who kept a smirk on his face.

As soon as Vanitas was close enough, he heard a click. "Hold it right there!" When Vanitas looked behind him, his body froze in place. Xigbar stood next to Aqua as he grabbed the top of her hair and pointed his gun toward her head. Vanitas didn't realize he was there. Quickly, he turned to Xehanort. "Why do you need me?!" Vanitas knew he had plenty of people on his side so it wouldn't hurt to let him go.

"You didn't think I came prepared Vanitas." Vanitas growled as he looked back. "You were always my number one. There's something I see in you that I see in myself. Before this, you were ruthless. You did whatever I said." Xehanort smirked toward him. "You were lost and looking for something, but I found you. You needed money. I gave you money. You wanted someone to care. I let you believe in the illusion that I did. The more you worked for me, the more I could see you as potential. Someone to take over the business once I'm gone."

"You don't need me!" Vanitas yelled.

Xehanort frowned. "You want to leave because of her?" Vanitas started to worry because he knew Xigbar wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. Xehanort looked over at her. "I'm keeping you here because I can't risk your little girlfriend telling about us."

Vanitas slammed his fist against the table. "I told you she wouldn't!"

"She doesn't understand you Vanitas. Not like I do."

Vanitas looked furious. His eyes pierced at Xehanort. "You don't know anything about me," he replied in a cold whisper.

Xehanort looked back at him and studied the look on his face. He closed his eyes as he smirked. He couldn't believe the girl had gotten to him that much. "You care about her, don't you?"

"If you touch her, I will kill you!" Vanitas threatened.

Xehanort nodded toward Xigbar. After he kneeled down, Xigbar lifted up her chin with his gun. "Is that really a face to die for?"

Xehanort smirked. "I can kill her easily. All I have to do is give the order."

Vanitas looked angry, but inside, he was afraid of what would happen next. "Stop it!" Xigbar moved her head around a little. Then, he placed the gun to the side of her head. Vanitas was on edge. "I said let go of her!"

"Last chance Vanitas or I'll kill her," Xigbar warned.

Without thinking, Vanitas rushed toward him. "No!" Xigbar turned around as he stood up and pointed the gun toward Vanitas. He pulled the trigger.

Vanitas's eyes shook as he stood froze. The gun was pointed away and the bullet hit the wall. "That was just a warning shot." Xigbar got ready to shoot again, but this time aimed for Vanitas's head. "If you refuse our boss again, I'll kill you both and you'll never see your girlfriend alive a second time." Xigbar pointed the gun back toward Aqua's head. "So…? What's it going to be? Once he gives the word, I'll kill her." He smirked down at Aqua. "I might kill her just for sport."

Vanitas stood as he breathed hard. He couldn't keep it up anymore. "Now…" Vanitas looked over to see Xehanort's smirk. "Will you come back to join me?"

Vanitas was worried about his threat. He looked over at Aqua who was still sleeping on the floor. Worn down, both physically and mentally, Vanitas's knees gave out. He fell to the floor. What other choice did he have? "Fine…" he murmured.

Xehanort smirked more. "Then prove it."

As much as his body cringed at the thought and he hated it more than anything, he cared about Aqua too much as to let her die. He got on his hands and knees. "Yes Master…"

Xehanort walked off and stopped in front of Vanitas. "Pathetic..." He nodded toward Xigbar and Lexaeus. They walked over toward Vanitas. Vanitas sat up as he stared toward the floor. Xigbar struck Vanitas across the face with gun. Vanitas fell over onto the ground. Lexaeus kicked him in stomach. His eyes stared forward. He almost didn't feel the last kick. He didn't want to get pulled back in. He didn't want to hurt Aqua after the promise he made her, but what other choice did he have? Even if he had given his life, he was sure that Aqua would've died right after. As he stared at her from across the room, he saw the peaceful look on her face. He was glad that she didn't have to see this. Xehanort looked around to see blood spread across the ground. "You two made quite a mess. Hopefully it will serve as a reminder to you." He looked over at Vanitas. "Vanitas. I'll have a job for you starting tomorrow. I suspect that you'll pick up the phone when I call." Xehanort frowned. "I let you loose for too long. Now the leash needs to be tightened." Xehanort walked away, leaving the two to lie on the floor. "As for the money, you can forget it until you can be trusted again." Afterwards, they left the warehouse. Vanitas looked down toward the floor. His own blood was still spreading across the hard ground.

A few hours later, Aqua jumped up, worried. When she looked around, she realized that she was back in her room. Beside her, she saw Vanitas stare down as he sat beside her. His bangs covered over his eyes. "Vanitas?" He refused to look over at her. Surprised, she moved in closer toward him. "What happened? How did I end up back here?" Aqua's eyes lowered toward the side as she thought back. "The last thing I remembered was being with that Xehanort guy."

Vanitas got up off of her bed and placed his hands in his pocket. He turned away from her. "What are you talking about? You've been here all night."

Aqua grew confused. "What are you talking about? I remember it all. He sent his guys to come after me and I was right in front of him."

"You were just dreaming. You've been here with me all night. You came back from practice tired and you fell asleep as soon as you got here."

Aqua looked suspicious as she leaned forward. "Why aren't you looking at me?"

Vanitas kept his back turned. "No reason…" He didn't want to tell Aqua the truth. "See ya."

Determined, Aqua stood up and grabbed his shoulder before he could leave from the window. "Vanitas!" It became a struggle. "Vanitas! Just-!" Finally, she got him to turn to her. Right away, her eyes widened, stunned as her breath stopped. She stepped back. "Vanitas…" She placed her hand to her chest. At first, she noticed the blood on his clothes, but it was worse than she thought. Her hand hesitated as she reached for his face. "What…What did they do to you…?" she whispered.

Blood was still on his face as his left eye was partially open. Aqua reached down and grabbed his right hand. It was badly bruised. Vanitas sighed in pain as his eyes winced. Aqua noticed his reaction. "Sit," she instructed him, before he could object. Vanitas listened and sat on the edge of the bed. Intent on helping him, she rushed to the bathroom. She grabbed a wet cloth and a few towels. Downstairs, she put some ice in a bag and then rushed back to her room.

Sighs of pain left his lips as she slowly cleaned the blood from his face. She handed him the ice bag. "Put this on your hand. It will make the swelling go down." Vanitas listened and placed the freezing cold bag on top of his hand. Aqua looked concerned. "This is worse than a few years ago." Sad, she looked down. "They hurt you again…"

Vanitas turned his head to her, curious. "Did they hurt you?"

Aqua looked toward the side as she rubbed her neck. "I saw there was still red around my neck, but other than that no. They just gave me something to make me sleep." Vanitas breathed out as he closed his eyes. His body felt exhausted over what happened tonight. Aqua looked concerned. "Tell me…please…"

His eyes stared toward the floor. "If I didn't come back, they would have killed you." The thought scared Aqua, but she remained calm. "At first, I told them I wouldn't. When they saw hurting me wasn't enough… they put a gun to your head." Aqua's eyes widened in surprise. Her life was in dangerous and she didn't know it at the time. "I knew if I didn't come back, they would've killed you right then and there. Now…I don't have a choice…"

Aqua looked down as well. "I'm sorry…" Vanitas winced in pain once he felt her touch him with the cloth again. "This is all my fault…"

Vanitas became upset as soon as he heard her say those words. "Why?!" He didn't understand why she was blaming herself at a time like this.

Guilt welled heavily in her chest. "If I had just listened to you in the first place or even stayed away…you wouldn't have been…"

Vanitas gave her a serious, calm stare. "No matter what, they would've done something. If it wasn't you, they would've found some other way to keep me in line." He looked down. "I would've willingly stayed and worked for him, but because of you, I didn't."

Aqua looked down worried with her fist to her chest. "Would things be better that way…if we would've just…stayed apart…?"

"If it wasn't for you, I would've continued on the path of darkness and done a lot worse. You made me believe that someone…" His eyes lowered toward the floor. "...could actually care…"

Aqua wrapped her arms around him as she closed her eyes. "Don't ever doubt it for a second." She sat up straight. "Are you sure you don't need to go to a hospital?"

He frowned. "I'm fine."

Aqua looked determined. "Then for now, you're staying here with me tonight."

He struggled to get up a little. "I told you I'm fine."

Aqua stood up in front of him. "No you're not! I'm watching over you tonight. Got it?" Vanitas let out a sigh and sat back down. He was in no mood to argue with her. Inside, Aqua was glad that he didn't fight her on this. "Get settled." He listened and struggled slightly to raise his shirt over his head. "Here." She grabbed the ends of his shirt and finished raising it above his head. He breathed out to relieve some of the pain. On his stomach and along his arms, she spotted a few bruises. The sight of them made her feel uneasy. After she helped him get settled, she hung his clothes over her arm and spoke, "Lie down. You'll need to rest for a while." Listening, he lied down with his head against her pillow. After she set his clothes aside on her chair, her fingers brushed against his stomach. Even the light touch of her fingers caused his body to twitch in pain. It concerned her greatly. "Are you sure? We should get someone to look at this."

Vanitas tried to get as comfortable as he could. He let out a frown. "I told you I'm fine."

Aqua breathed out. She wished that he wasn't so stubborn. After she finished cleaning and bandaging his open wounds, she settled in beside him and went to asleep along with him.

A few hours into the night, Aqua woke up again as the room was dark. When she looked over toward Vanitas, she noticed his body twitching as he closed his eyes tight. Gently, she placed her hand on his chest. "Vanitas… Are you okay?" He pressed down on his teeth. "What's wrong?" After calming down a little, he opened his eyes to her. "Was it a bad dream?"

He breathed out. "No… Just…can't sleep."

"Why?" Aqua looked down at his body. A guess came to mind. "Are you in a lot of pain?" He didn't answer, which made Aqua impatient. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

Vanitas tried to sit up on his elbows as he closed his eyes tight. "Just go back to sleep."

Aqua looked off toward the side. She could see it was a clear struggle for him. Then an idea came to mind. "I'll be back." She got out of bed and left her room. Quietly, she went down the hall to her parents' room. She opened their door without making it creak. Inside, her parents were sleeping peacefully. She stepped near her father's side of the bed. In the drawer, she found a bottle. She opened it and dropped a pill into the palm of her hand. Afterwards, she closed it tight in her fist. Carefully, she closed the drawer and left. Downstairs, she poured a glass of water and then headed back upstairs. She closed the door behind her to her room. Lightly, she ran across the floor to her bed. She placed her hand against his back and made him sit up. "Here. Take this." As much as he wanted to ask first, he trusted her and swallowed the pill. She placed the glass to his lips and got him to drink. She sat on her knees on her bed as she watched him.

"What was that?" he asked curious.

She smiled, relieved that he was able to take it. "Something to help with the pain. Hopefully, it will kick in soon. My father takes it for his back sometimes when it acts up."

Vanitas lied back down as he breathed out. Already, he felt more relaxed. Her eyes traveled along the bed, before she looked at him. "I still don't agree with this. I still think you should get checked out just to make sure there's no internal bleeding." Then, she reached down and grabbed his hand. Bandages were wrapped around his hands. It still seemed badly bruised and his fingers were swollen. It worried her. Then, she turned to him as she looked serious. "We're not ignoring this! We're getting you checked out tomorrow!" A surprised look came on her face as she came to a realization. Vanitas looked more peaceful than before. He breathed softly as his eyes were closed. The twitch in his body had stopped. It was the calmest she had seemed him all night. It came as a relief that he was able to sleep. Tonight had to have taken a lot out of him after what he had been through. Aqua relaxed and lied beside him. She watched him until she fell asleep as well.

The next morning, Aqua closed her eyes tight. She woke out of her sleep to hear the phone ring. "Yeah… Yeah…" When she looked over tired, she saw Vanitas sitting on the edge of the bed with his back turned. "Yeah. I understand…I'll be right there."

A concerned look came on her face. Before he stood up, he felt something brush against his arm. "Vanitas?" He looked toward her serious. Then, he stood up and slipped on his pants. "Go back to sleep. I'll be back soon." He sat back down and began putting on his shoes.

She sat up. His words alone confirmed what she already feared. "You're going back there aren't you…?"

Vanitas glanced at her, then back toward his shoes. "It's better that you don't know."

Her eyes lowered, disappointed. He stood up and finished getting dressed. As much as she wanted to stop him, she knew it would only make things worse for him. He began to climb out of her window. "Please…be careful…" When he looked over, he saw that she continued to stare down. He wasn't sure what was running through her mind. Afterwards, he left.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!  
_


	38. The Other Side: I Have To Save Him

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! __I hope you'll like the next chapter!_ _If you celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, Happy Thanksgiving!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 37: I Have To Save Him:_

The phone lied steady in his hand as he stared down at it. There were no calls, no jobs for him to do yet. He wished that this was over. He felt guilt whenever Aqua was around in the pit of his stomach. Whenever he had to go, the look on her face would haunt him. As much as he tried not to let her know when he had to go, she would still find out regardless. At lunch, Aqua headed toward Vanitas standing outside. Once she saw him, she smiled. The one time they could spend together alone was at lunch. When she got closer, the smile left from her face. Seeing him holding his cellphone, just staring at it, made her feel uneasy. She stepped in closer. "Vanitas?" Quickly, he put his phone back in his pocket and turned to her. She started to get concerned. "What's going on?"

He let out a frown. "Nothing."

Aqua stopped in front of him. She noticed that he was more on edge. It worried her. They sat down underneath a tree. Aqua looked over to see that Vanitas had nothing with him. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Vanitas remained distracted. "No."

"Do you…want to share-?" Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He slipped the phone out to see that it was Xehanort's number. Aqua looked down at the phone. "Vanitas?" He placed it back in his pocket and looked over at her, still feeling the phone. Aqua's eyes traveled down concerned. Vanitas saw her expression which made guilt rise in him again. Then, he glanced over toward the outside of the school to see some of Xehanort's guys watching and waiting on him. He stood up. "I gotta go." Afterwards, he turned and walked away.

Aqua kept her head down. It frustrated her that she couldn't figure out a way to stop this from happening. She wanted the situation they were in to be over. Her arms wrapped around her knees. What more could she do now?

Vanitas traveled to the side of the school and called the number back. _"I don't like that you're answering late Vanitas."_ He could hear Xehanort's voice on the other line.

Vanitas looked around to make sure that no one was in hearing distance. "I'm at school. What do you expect?"

" _Don't take that tone with me. I have something I need you to do. Can you be here in a few minutes? I have some people to help escort you_."

Vanitas looked over to see the other guys waiting for him. Afterwards, he closed his eyes as he leaned against the wall. He didn't know how much longer he could take this, but he knew he had to do it, for Aqua's sake. "Yeah…" he whispered.

Later that night, Aqua sat with Vanitas inside of Aqua's room. Aqua smiled as best she could despite him being silence toward her. "I'm glad we could finally have time to spend together now. You've been…" She could no longer hide her concern. Her head lowered. "…busy a lot lately..."

Vanitas leaned back with his hands behind his head. "You've been too."

"I know. I have to since…"

Suddenly, Vanitas heard his phone ring again. He pulled it out from his pocket and looked at the number. Aqua lifted her head. She could already tell who it was. He sat up and then looked toward Aqua. "I have to go."

Aqua became worried again. "Hmm…" Vanitas got up and headed toward the window. Quickly, Aqua turned to him. "Vanitas…? Where are you going…? What does he... have you do out there?"

Vanitas watched her for a little before he responded. "Later." Afterwards, he went out of the window. Aqua let out a sigh. All she could for was that he was safe.

* * *

Another few days had passed. Night came around as Vanitas stood in his room and held his phone. He had to be ready for when his next job would come up. As he waited, Aqua opened the door to his room. "Vanitas?"

Vanitas turned around. Surprised, he didn't expect her to come over. "Aqua? What are you doing here?"

Aqua headed toward him. "Your mom let me in."

Before they could speak, they heard another ring, which made them both freeze. Vanitas answered. "Yeah?"

" _You're getting better at answering. Soon, I might not have to keep such a close eye on you. Anyway, I need you to do something tonight."_

"I can be there. Soon." Afterwards, Vanitas hung up. Unable to withstand it any longer, Aqua walked over and knocked the phone out of his hand. It bounced against the floor. Vanitas looked over surprised, but then, he became upset. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Aqua buried her face in his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him. "I don't want you to do this anymore."

Vanitas frowned toward her. "You think I wanna do this?!"

"Then stop." More than anything, she wanted this to stop. "He has you going out every day and night. I barely see you anymore and I don't know what's going on because you won't tell me."

He pressed his hands against her shoulders and pulled her away. "Have you forgotten what happened?! I didn't want to go back working for him, but he had threatened to kill both of us!"

She pulled his hands off of her shoulders. "We have to find a way to get you out of this."

Vanitas growled. "You don't think I haven't tried to think of something?! He's not gonna to let this go!"

Aqua looked worried. "He's going to get you in serious trouble."

"What else am I supposed to do?!" Aqua jumped slightly at his raised voice and then looked down. As he looked toward the side, Vanitas sighed. He didn't mean to yell at her.

Aqua shook her head a little. "I've been trying to think of a way to help you, but I'm not sure what to do…"

"Then, maybe you should leave." Aqua looked at him surprised. He looked forward serious. "It's not too late for you. Maybe we were never meant to come this far. We should've just listened to what everyone said and end this."

Aqua stepped back toward him. After how far they've come, she couldn't believe what he said. "So that's it…? You're giving up just like that?"

"I'm not letting him come after you," he whispered. It was then he made his decision. He gave an angry look toward her. "Just do what your mom wanted! Go to school and get married and all that! We're through! Don't _ever_ come near me again and don't get in my way!" He turned from her and headed toward the door. "This is where I belong." Aqua stood in the middle of the room as she looked upset. Her fists baled at her sides tight.

* * *

After Vanitas was done for tonight, he returned back to the warehouse. When he lifted his eyes, he saw Xehanort sitting at his desk, writing. "Done for tonight Vanitas?"

Vanitas's eyes traveled down. "Yeah."

"Good because I'll need you at the end of the week. There's going to be a big drop and I'm trusting you to carry it out. If all goes well, it will be a big payday for all of us. Of course, depending on how well you do, I might be inclined to put you back on my payroll. I'm still not happy about how you took off." He looked over serious at Vanitas. "Instead of getting more money you could've ever ask for, you chose that girl. I hoped you realized your mistake."

Vanitas's eyes traveled toward the ground. "Yeah. There's nothing else but this now."

"Really?" Xehanort sounded interested. "What's changed?"

"I realized that you were right. This is where I belong."

Xehanort arched his eyebrow. It was hard to believe things changed just like that. "And why should I believe you?"

Vanitas looked determined. "I'll do whatever it takes."

Xehanort smirked. "I'm glad to hear that." Vanitas sat down on the couch. "Not going home?"

"Not tonight."

"Avoiding someone?"

His eyes traveled to the side. "When will I start making money again?"

"As soon as I deem you worthy. Are you having money troubles again?" Vanitas stared down, anxious. "I'll take that as a yes. In time Vanitas. I don't think you've learned your lesson yet."

* * *

After a few days had passed, Aqua stared down as she looked serious. Her friends surrounded her, but she was more lost in thought. Later that afternoon, she headed home with them. Nearby, Xigbar and Demyx continued to watch her. "I'm surprised. Those two must've separated."

Xigbar shrugged. "Must've got tired of each other. It happens. That kid hasn't gone home yet either. Maybe he was telling the truth. Anyway, let's head back. We got other stuff to do."

Aqua continued to walk home by herself. The last few days hadn't been easy. Vanitas's words still ran inside of her head. It only made her more upset. Next door, she noticed that the door to Vanitas's home was open. She looked curious. Apart of her told herself to stay out of it, but she had to know what was going on. She peeked inside. On the couch, she noticed Vanitas's mother with her head pressed against her hands, distressed. Aqua kneeled down toward her. "Is everything okay?"

She lifted her head and looked surprised through her sadness. "Aqua…?"

Aqua sat beside her as she smiled for comfort. "I hope you don't mind. I saw the door open. What's wrong?"

His mother buried her face in her hands. "Everything is just falling apart. Everything is piling on and we need help. Vanitas and I got into an argument. Afterwards, he stormed out. I don't know where he's been disappearing to for the last week." Aqua's eyes traveled toward the side. She had an idea, but didn't want to say out loud. When she looked around, stuff was shattered around the room. Then, she smiled toward his mother. "Let me help."

His mother shook her head. "No! I couldn't-."

Aqua smiled more to assure her. "It's fine. We're practically family." His mother stared at her stunned. Afterwards, she helped to clean stuff around the living room. After Aqua helped, she stepped outside. She breathed out as she looked up toward the orange colored sky. She wondered what was going on with Vanitas at that moment.

* * *

Later that week, as night came around, Vanitas sat on the couch as he held his head down. Tonight was going to be a big night for them. After this, he would be back in The Organization and that is where he would choose to stay. There was no going back. Not again. "Good! You're here."

Vanitas lifted his head to see Xehanort walk up to him with Lexaeus behind him with the same serious look. Xehanort placed a metal briefcase on the table which Vanitas looked surprised. "What's this?"

Xehanort smirked. "Your big delivery. This is important. Handle it well. You'll be representing me."

Vanitas took the briefcase off of the table and looked at Xehanort. "I won't let you down."

* * *

After practice was over, Aqua walked out on the street. A worried look came on her face. She wondered where Vanitas could be now. She hadn't seen him since he split from her. She just hoped that where ever he was, that he was okay. She started heading for home. Along the way, she noticed a police car parked nearby with flashing lights on. A thought came to mind immediately. What if one day Vanitas were to get caught? Then, she may never see him again. It only made her more worried. Curious, she walked by. Two officers were leaning on the car talking. "Looks like they're carrying through with the bust tonight. Our sources say that's it's supposed to happen nearby."

"If this works out, we'll be taking down the two biggest groups including one here on the island." Aqua heard them as they walked by. Now she knew she had to find where Vanitas was and make sure that he wasn't involved. Deep down, it worried her that he was. Quickly, she pulled out her phone and started calling him, but there was no answer. Then, she searched around. Despite it being dangerous, she figured that she better find him on her own soon.

* * *

Vanitas walked along the alleyway with the briefcase in hand. "I can't believe they let you handle this," he heard a voice behind him.

Vanitas looked back as he frowned. Demyx followed behind him. "And you should?"

"You just got back! It's not fair!" Demyx whined.

Vanitas stopped in front of him as he glared. "Get used to it. I'm back. For good this time."

Demyx waved his finger. "You owe me for the last time. That ex-girlfriend of yours broke my nose. What are you gonna do about it?"

Vanitas shrugged. "What am I supposed to do? It's not fault you got beat up by a girl."

Demyx smirked. "If you give me her number, I can scare her little. Really get back at her." Suddenly, he felt his back slammed hard against the brick wall as fingers wrapped around his neck. When he opened his eyes, he saw the intense glare in Vanitas's eyes. He panicked a little. "I wasn't going to do anything! Really!

"You lay one finger on her or even look at her the wrong way, I will kill you!" Vanitas could feel his rage build up inside of him like before. As more time passed being with The Organization, he began to embrace his old self. Someone that people feared. Someone that no one else would cross.

Demyx waved his hands. "I didn't mean anything by it!"

Xigbar walked over as he held up his hands. "Whoa…! Let's remain calm here. We still got the mission at hand."

Vanitas let go of Demyx. Demyx bent over as he coughed and held his neck. "You're following us now?"

Xigbar smirked. "Gotta make sure this deal goes right. The big guy has his eye on you."

"Whatever…" Vanitas muttered.

They made it to the empty warehouse and waited. They looked around. Demyx looked curious. "Where are those guys?"

Xigbar looked suspicious. "I don't like this…" All of a sudden, he heard a noise behind him. Quickly, he pulled out his gun. "What the-?" Then, he felt something hit the back of his neck. His eyes rolled in the back of his head and fell on the ground.

Demyx waved his hands in the air. "Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!" A fist met his face and knocked him down on the ground. "Not again…" he groaned.

Vanitas blinked, stunned. "Aqua?!" Aqua stood as she breathed hard. "What are you-?!"

"We have to go!" she sounded anxious. Vanitas was a loss for words. Many questions went through his mind about where she came from and how she found him. Aqua went up to him. "Put down the case!"

Vanitas blinked surprised. "Wha-?"

There was a serious look on her face. "Put it down!"

He listened. Then, he frowned toward her. "What are you doing here?!" Aqua kneeled down as she looked determined. She took out a cloth and wiped down the case. Vanitas looked confused. "What are you-?"

Aqua looked back serious. "What's in that case?"

Vanitas shrugged. "I don't know. I was just supposed to deliver it to some guy."

She wiped around the handle and case. "We need to wipe away any evidence. No one can know that you were here."

"Why-?"

Aqua placed the case near Xigbar and went to Vanitas. "Listen to me. If you stay, you'll get in trouble."

Vanitas looked down and toward the side. "I have to do this."

She grabbed her hand. "Don't do it. Trust me." She pulled onto his hand, concerned. "I know you're worried, but we'll be fine. We'll look out for each other okay, but for right now, just trust me. Just trust me." He searched her eyes. Apart of him debated about staying so they would be safe, but the other part felt something worse was to come.

Xigbar groaned as he barely opened his eyes. Through his blurred sight, he saw feet running toward the exit. He pressed down on his teeth. "That…traitor…" his voice faded. Soon darkness took over.

Sometime later, a man who wore a white suit and big coat walked into the warehouse with a few other men on his side. A confused look came on his face. "What's this? I know we're running a little late, but…" He noticed the two people on the ground. "This is some welcome committee…" He looked down to see the briefcase lying down on the ground. He smirked and picked up. He checked the inside of it. "Well. I see that no one was gracious enough to wait for us." He turned to his boys. "Let's take the case and go." His men smirked and walked with him.

Suddenly, they heard a sound. "Freeze!" When all of them looked around, the police were there surrounding them.

Demyx groaned as he was on the ground. Blood dripped from his nose. When he opened his eyes, he realized there were guns pointed at his face. He sat up as he panicked. "Hey! What did I do?!"

* * *

In the warehouse, Xehanort sat across from Lexaeus as he moved a piece across the chessboard. He looked toward the door. "They should've been back by now." He waited a little to see if someone made it back. Then, he turned his attention back to his game. Suddenly, he heard a sound which made them lift both their heads. The police stepped in and pointed their guns toward them. "Freeze!" Xehanort pressed on his teeth as he looked angry.

* * *

In Aqua's room, Aqua sat up against the pillows on her bed as Vanitas lied down beside her. His arms were wrapped around her waist as his eyes were closed. Exhausted and stressed, he had fallen asleep. Aqua spent her time glued to the television. She watched the news for any word of what was going on tonight. Suddenly, her eyes widened. Once she listened, she shook Vanitas to wake him up. "Vanitas! Vanitas!" He groaned as he woke up. Aqua continued to shake him. "Look." He looked toward the television. Soon, he looked surprised. Aqua was right. The bust that the police did was after Xehanort and who he was dealing with. The suitcase that Vanitas was supposed to deliver was the proof they needed. Both of them continued to watch the television, stunned until Aqua spoke. "Vanitas… You're free. You don't have to work for him anymore. The police have him now." Vanitas couldn't believe it. Not only that Xehanort was gone, but Aqua actually saved him from getting arrested as well. Aqua hugged onto him tightly. She closed her eyes as she smiled. "We don't have to worry anymore. He's going to be gone for a long time."

Vanitas pulled Aqua away as he looked serious. "It's not over yet. My fingerprints were on that suitcase and Xehanort could just turn me in if he wanted to."

"Vanitas. That's why I wiped your fingerprints clean off of that handle and Xehanort has no proof that you worked from him. If anyone ask, you were with me tonight." Vanitas sighed with his eyes closed. Tonight was a lot to take in. Aqua looked concerned. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Don't worry. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it when it comes and we'll do it together." Vanitas laid down and Aqua followed in behind him.

Vanitas couldn't help but still be worried about what was going to happen next. He lifted his eyes to her. "Why…would you help me after I…?"

Aqua gave a gentle smile. "I love you. I told you that I would stay by your side."

Vanitas continued to stare at her as his lips parted. What she did was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him. Quickly, he moved in as he pressed his hand to the back of her head and pulled her in. Before she could speak, his lips met hers with a fierce, passionate kiss. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body closer to his. He leaned in closer toward her. She lied back as he hovered over her. Vanitas stared down at her. Her short, blue hair spread across the pillow as she gazed up at him, breathing softly. Her knees pressed in at his waist. His thumb brushed against her cheek. As her eyes searched his, he seemed vulnerable. "What is it?" she whispered.

He took in the moment. Maybe this would be the last night that he had with her. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Both of them breathed out as they began to relax. Vanitas raised up as he kept his eyes on hers and raised his shirt over his head. Below, he could see her surprise. He reached down and raised her shirt as well without any objection. Eagerly, he pulled her head closer to his, crashing her lips into his again. Her arms wrapped around his neck and slid further along his back. He buried his face within her neck. She breathed out as she closed her eyes. She could feel his lips pull at her neck. Quickly, his hands worked to pull away the rest of her clothes and his, before he pressed his body against hers.

A deep gasp escaped from her lips. He breathed out as he pressed his forehead against her shoulder. He grabbed the sides of her legs and kept them locked at his waist. She closed her eyes tight as her hands pressed against his back. Then, she glanced toward the door. It was hard to keep her cries to herself so no one further down the hall could hear her. The more he continued, the harder it became. Her fingernails traveled down along his back, digging more into the skin. The muscles tensed in his back at the sensation, motivating him to continue. She pressed her lips together in an attempt not to get louder, but she couldn't hold it for much longer. She moved her hand toward her lips, but he grabbed her wrist and pressed it against the pillow. He wanted to hear the sound of her voice. Tonight, they let their troubles fade from their minds and became lost in each other.

The next morning was quiet. Both of them breathed softly. Aqua moved a little against him. She woke up to see Vanitas sleeping beside her on his back. A smile appeared on her lips. She wanted to believe that things was finally over. Gently, she brushed his dark bangs from his face. A few minutes later, he woke up beside her. She let out a smile. "Good morning."

He yawned, tired and leaned his head against her arm. "Morning..." His hand rubbed along her shirt over her stomach. Memories of last night came to mind. He really had a close run in that would've changed his life forever.

Aqua placed his hand on top of his. "It's okay." Vanitas looked up at her. She could tell that he was deep in thought. It was easy to guess over what. Aqua sat up beside him and smiled for comfort. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

Vanitas looked uneasy. "And what if I don't? I could be going away for a long time you know. If that's the case, don't wait for me."

Aqua grabbed his hand and slid her fingers between his. "I'll wait for you." Vanitas smiled as she shook his head. She really was stubborn and he was glad for that. She looked serious. "You're not going away okay? Everything will be fine."

Vanitas pulled her into a kiss. Her eyes widened as his lips moved against hers passionately. Soon, she closed her eyes and gave into him. She fell back against the bed as he leaned against her. Afterwards, he gave a faint half smile, half smirk. "I guess I should thank you for getting me out of there in time then."

Aqua grinned. "I thought that's what last night was for." Vanitas smirked in return. Then, Aqua gave him a concerned look as her hand rubbed against his cheek. The worse scenarios ran through her mind. He could've gone away to prison, shot, or worse. She was glad that he was there with her now. She leaned in and kissed him again. No matter what would happen in the future, she would be with him, but for now, she would enjoy the time that she could spend with him.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	39. The Other Side: The Struggle

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! Here's the next chapter!  
_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 38: The Struggle:_

The last couple of weeks that passed had left Vanitas and Aqua on edge, but the more time that went by, the better they felt that nothing would happen to Vanitas and free of worry that Vanitas would be dragged back into the organization. They felt happy as they were before.

During the morning, Vanitas and Aqua walked to school hand in hand. Aqua looked over at him. She was glad to see him happy more often. It made her smile more. Aqua grinned with her eyes closed, which Vanitas noticed. Confused, he arched his eyebrow. "What are you so happy about?"

"I'm just happy that you're happy." Vanitas closed his eyes as he smirked. What she said was cheesy, but it didn't surprise him that she would say something like that. As they walked inside, there was someone watching them nearby the school fence.

In class, Vanitas joined Aqua, Rikku, Paine, and Yuna as their desks were together. Rikku sighed with her eyes closed. "I can't believe it...! Only a few days and then it'll be graduation..."

Yuna placed her hands together in her lap as she looked sad. "I guess… we'll be going our separate ways. It's kind of sad with you think about it."

It made Aqua a little sad to talk about their separation, but then she smiled, hopeful. "I'm sure we'll see each other again and we'll visit. You guys will be traveling right?"

Paine nodded. "Yeah."

Yuna smiled, excited. "Tidus, Wakka, and their team will be on a summer long blitzball tournament."

"Yup!" Rikku cheered. "We're going to watch them and cheer them on!"

"And…?" Paine pressed on. She hoped that they would be doing more than just that this summer.

Yuna nodded. "Right! And we'll be traveling on my uncle Cid's ship!"

Aqua smiled as Vanitas seemed a little interested. "Wow! That sounds like fun!"

Rikku smirked playfully toward the two of them. "So…? Will you two still be together?"

Vanitas glared as he crossed his arms. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Rikku leaned on her hand. "You know... Will you two be long distance or be near each other when you go off after graduation? Will you make sure to stay together?"

Aqua nodded as she smiled. "Yes! Of course we will." Vanitas reached behind Aqua and wrapped his arm around her waist. He pulled her in closer. Aqua jumped as she felt his fingers tickle just on the outside of her shirt. "We're going to make sure to stick by each other after we go away."

Vanitas nodded toward her. "Yeah."

Rikku and Yuna giggled. It was nice to see Vanitas being so open with Aqua. "Just making sure! We want Aqua to stay happy," Rikku said.

"You too Vanitas," Yuna added. Vanitas turned his head to her, surprised. Yuna, Paine, and Rikku looked at each other concerned before they looked back at Vanitas. "Vanitas… We wanted to say that we're sorry about the way we treated you before…" Yuna apologized.

Rikku looked disappointed. "Yeah... Aqua was right to yell at us. You're not such a bad guy."

Vanitas sighed. "Don't worry about it. It's not like I haven't been through it before. You guys weren't that bad either."

Rikku and Yuna smiled a little as Paine looked serious. "We're glad." Yuna said, relieved that he forgave them.

Rikku gave a thumb's up. "All right you lovebirds! Just make sure you tell us when the wedding is!"

Vanitas's and Aqua's eyes widened. Vanitas looked away as he scratched the back of his head and let out a pout. Aqua looked down, nervously. "Um…?" Rikku and Yuna started giggling. Even Paine let out a faint smirk. It was fun teasing the two of them.

* * *

Summer was upon them and school was over. Vanitas lied on his bed with his hands behind his head. There wasn't much to do since the organization was disbanded. He was glad for that. Now he could be with Aqua without any threats. Suddenly, he got a call on his cellphone. Once he looked at the number, his eyes widened. Quickly, he sat up. It was like someone from his past had come back to haunt him. The number on his phone was Xehanort's. He wondered how it was possible since he was supposed to be in prison. He let the phone ring until it had stopped. Then, he received a text message. At the threatening message, his eyes widened. _"This isn't over Vanitas…"_

A deep gasp escaped from his lips as Vanitas sat up quick. Sweat rolled down his face as he breathed heavily. When he looked around, he saw that everything was dark in his room and things were quiet. Then, he looked over toward his phone. He checked it, but saw there was no message. It was then he realized it was a dream. He leaned his arm on his knee as he tried to calm himself. The dream seemed so real, as if it was a warning. After he calmed down, he relaxed on his bed. He tried to assure himself that there was nothing to worry about, but he couldn't shake the feeling of dread…

* * *

As the sun set in the sky, casting orange above, Aqua and Vanitas walked hand in hand toward home. Curious, Aqua turned her head to Vanitas. "What do you think we should do for the summer?" Her eyes traveled toward the ground. "Hmm… We could go on a trip."

Vanitas frowned a little at the idea. "Depends… I have some munny left over, but I'm trying to hold out on spending it."

Aqua smiled nervously. "You could…let me handle it?" Vanitas stared at her as he thought about it. It would be nice to get away with her and forget about what they've been through. Aqua waited for his answer. Then, he sighed. "Whatever you wanna do."

They headed toward his door. "Come on... You don't have to say it like that…" Then, Vanitas stopped as he became on edge. Aqua noticed and stopped along with him. "What is it?" Cautiously, Vanitas took a step forward. He wasn't sure why the door was left open, but something didn't feel right. "Vanitas-?"

"Stay behind me." He pushed open his door. When they looked inside, they saw that the living room was trashed. Both of them stepped inside, uneasy. They noticed the same for the kitchen.

Aqua looked around. "What happened here? Did someone break in?"

"Hmm…" Vanitas frowned. Something still didn't feel right.

Soon, his mother walked in behind them as she carried a bag in her arm. "Hi-." A shocked look came on her face once she saw the inside of the house. "What happened?!"

Vanitas searched around. "It doesn't look they took anything. Just trashed the place."

His mother was worried along with Aqua. "Who would do this…?" Vanitas stared down serious. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he would find out soon.

Later that night, Ventus stepped out of the dojo, tired. After a long practice, he was ready to go home. Things were quiet as he walked alone in the streets. Then, he heard a bell ring in the distance. He looked over curious. "Huh?"

A boy wearing a hood rode on a bike as he carried a bat in his hand. The bell rung again. The boy stopped in front of Ventus, which Ventus looked surprised. "Hey kid…" His devious smirk grew. "You're Vanitas's little brother, right?"

Ventus felt uneasy. "Who are you?"

"It's okay to say. I just wanted to give him a little message." He pointed his bat at Ventus. Ventus's eyes widened, worried. The boy chuckled at him. Ventus turned around and took off running. The boy took off riding on his bike with his bat in hand. Ventus looked back to see him catch up. Quickly, the boy swerved around in front of Ventus. Before Ventus could react, the boy swung the bat as hard as he could. Ventus's body fell hard against the concrete. A little blood spilled from the sidewalk onto the road. He went unconscious. The boy looked down as he smirked. "I'm sure you'll give Vanitas the message."

As the night passed, Aqua slept curled up next to Vanitas as his arm was wrapped around her in her room. Suddenly, he heard his phone ring. Once he realized what the noise was, he answered it as quickly as he could so he wouldn't risk Aqua's parents coming in. "Hello…?" he whispered. He sat up as he listened to the familiar voice over the phone. Then his eyes widened, stunned.

Aqua sat up beside him, tired. After Vanitas hung up, his lips parted as he slowly put down his phone in his lap. Aqua rubbed her eyes. "Who was that?"

A serious look came on his face. "That was my mom…She said Ventus never came home tonight."

Instantly, a worried look came on her face. "What?!"

Vanitas looked over at her. "Then, she got a call from the hospital. He's there."

Anxious, Aqua grabbed onto his arm. "We have to go!" Both of them got dressed and headed for the hospital. When they got there, they found out what room Ventus was in. Inside of his room, they saw his mother sitting at his bedside, distressed. Ventus lied in a bed with bandages around his head, sleeping. The sight of Ventus made Aqua more worried. "What happened?! What's wrong with Ven?!"

His mother shook his head. "I-I don't know! I heard he was attacked and left on the streets. They don't know who did it. He hasn't woken up since. He has a little bit of swelling so they put him in a coma to help reduce it."

Aqua looked concerned. She placed her hands on his mother's shoulders. "I'm so sorry…"

"I just don't understand why anyone would do this..." His mother's words made Vanitas look toward the ground. Deep down, he was sure he knew why this happened. He turned and stepped out of the room.

Aqua took notice and stepped out after him. Vanitas placed his hands in his pockets as he kept his back turned. Aqua stepped behind him uneasy and wondered what he was going through. "I'm sorry about…what happened to Ven." A feeling of guilt washed over her. She pressed her fist against her chest. "If I had gone with him tonight, maybe he wouldn't be here."

"It's not your fault," he said.

Aqua lifted his head to him. "Who could've done this and why?"

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "They're getting back at me for betraying them."

A concerned look came on her face. "But how? There should be no one left to-."

"It doesn't matter. If they haven't turned me in by now, then they'll just get their revenge however they see fit." Vanitas gave her a serious look. "From now on, if I'm not there, stay close to someone. I'm sure they'll come after you too." His eyes traveled along the ground. He knew the worst was yet to come. This might be his last chance to protect her.

"Vanitas…" She wished she knew what was running through his mind at that moment.

"Stay as long as you want to see Ventus. I'll walk you home." Afterwards, he turned and walked away. Aqua watched him worried. She felt like there was something he wasn't telling her.

The next day, Aqua stepped into Ventus's room at the hospital. Inside, she saw that Ventus was still asleep in his bed. A concerned look instantly appeared on her face. He still hadn't awakened from his sleep. She breathed in as she sat in a chair beside his bed. "Ven…" She hoped by some miracle she could wake him up, but he didn't respond. She sighed as she put her head down. "I'm sorry. I should have been there to watch over you." She lifted her eyes to him. "I know that…we haven't talked much, but… I still want to be a part of your life. You're one of my dearest friends. That's why I hope you'll wake up soon." Silence filled the air as she watched over him, hoping that he would wake up soon.

"Aqua?" Aqua lifted her head surprised. Across from her, she saw Sora walked in first with Roxas behind him. Both of them looked curious and surprised. Sora held up his hand as he smiled a little. "Hey!"

"Hi!" she greeted them.

Roxas looked over confused toward Ventus before he turned his attention to Aqua. "We heard that Ventus was here. What happened?"

Aqua looked down worried and then turned to Ventus. She grabbed onto his hand. "He was… attacked."

They were taken aback by what they heard. "Who would do something like that?!" Sora asked.

"Hmm…" She still wasn't sure who could've done this and she couldn't shake the feeling that Vanitas knew something. She turned her head back to Ventus. "We're not sure, but for now, Ventus has to sleep. I'm hoping that he'll be able to wake up soon."

Sora's eyes lowered toward the ground, sad. Roxas looked around before he looked at Aqua. "Where's Vanitas?"

"He had something to take care of. I'm sure he'll be by soon," Aqua replied.

"Hm." Roxas placed his hand on his hip as Sora looked at him curious. He seemed somewhat suspicious. "When is that going to be?"

Aqua smiled to assure him. "Don't worry! I'm sure he'll be here soon."

* * *

Things seemed empty now that everyone was gone. Vanitas stood in the middle of the quiet warehouse with his hands in his pockets. He knew what happened was no accident and was sure it was a message, but he hadn't been able to find a clue. After searching with no luck, he stepped outside and around the back of the warehouse. He kneeled toward the ground. He pulled up a loose, wooden board. There was a black lockbox hidden in the ground. He used his key to open it. Inside the metal case, there was a large pile of money. It brought him relief to see it. No one had found his hidden stash he saved just in case. While working for the organization, he decided to put money aside just in case. He stood up and closed the box. Afterwards, he left from the warehouse. At home, he placed the box in his drawer for safe keeping.

* * *

A few days afterwards, Aqua sat with her friends outside of a café. Together, they let out a laugh. It felt nice to relax after everything that happened. She was still worried, but things were calm again. Aqua smiled with some sadness in her eyes. "I'm glad that I get to see you guys one more time before you go."

The girls nodded. Afterwards, Rikku pointed toward her as she gave a sly smirk. "So…? Where's that boyfriend of yours?"

Aqua smiled to assure her. "He'll be by later. He had something he needed to do first before he stops by."

As they spoke more about their future plans, a person with a hood on stepped nearby and bumped into their table next to Aqua. Aqua's drink spilled onto the table as she looked surprised. Rikku stood up, upset. "Hey! What's the big deal?"

"Oops! Sorry about that!"

Aqua glanced toward her phone on the table. It didn't seem like anything spilled on it. For a second, in her mind, she thought that the voice sounded familiar, but she dismissed the thought. She stood up and headed toward the door. "It's fine. I'll just get something to clean it with." The girls looked over as she went inside. While they were distracted, the mysterious stranger grabbed Aqua's phone off the table and slipped away. Paine looked over as she arched her eyebrow with a suspicious look. The man was already gone. Something didn't feel right to her...

Later at sunset, Vanitas returned to his room. Afterwards, he heard his phone ring. When he looked at the number, he relaxed. He pressed the phone to his ear and sighed. "I know… I didn't make it back-."

" _Well… If it isn't the traitor…"_

Vanitas's eyes widened at the familiar voice. It put him on edge that he had Aqua's phone. He growled as he pressed on his teeth. "What do you want?" he asked coldly.

" _That's no way to talk to an old friend."_

"What are you doing with her phone? Where is she?!"

" _You know the place. I'll meet you there."_ Afterwards, the line went dead.

"Xigbar!" Vanitas growled as anger welled inside of him. Xigbar managed to catch Aqua again. He didn't understand how when she was supposed to be with her friends. Either way, he had to check for himself if she was all right. He left from his room and headed to the warehouse where he usually met Xehanort.

Later that night, he went into the alleyway. So far no one was around. He hurried toward the warehouse. Suddenly, a few boys stepped in front of Vanitas from the shadows. They all glared at Vanitas with anger. Vanitas watched the boys cautiously as they surrounded him. Soon, Xigbar stepped out of the warehouse as he clapped a few times. "I see you got our message." Vanitas pressed down on his teeth. Inside, he knew he was right. It was an ambush...

Meanwhile, across town, Aqua knocked on Vanitas's door. She thought it was strange that he didn't pick her up earlier. When the door opened, she became surprised along with the person across from her. "Aqua?"

"Hi! Is Vanitas here?" she asked curiously.

His mother shook her head. "No. He just left some time ago. He seemed like he was in a rush. I thought maybe it was to meet you.

Aqua looked a little concerned. "We were supposed to, but he never showed."

His mother looked surprised. "Why don't you try to call him?"

"I would, but my phone has gone missing." Aqua's eyes traveled toward the side. She had no idea what could've happened to it.

His mother smiled. "Here. You can use ours."

Aqua smiled. "Thank you." She walked in and tried to call Vanitas. The phone rung, but there was no response. Aqua was surprised that he didn't answer. Apart of her was a little worried. Aqua stared down, confused. Vanitas kept his phone with him always. Where could he have gone? She tried to call him a few more times, but he didn't answer. Then, she started to worry. Lately, he had been on edge because of the possibility that the organization would retaliate. Now, she wondered if she should go look for him...

Vanitas glared as he became angrier. His fists baled tightly at his side. "Where is she?!"

Xigbar shrugged as he smirked. "Where's who?"

Vanitas growled as he pressed on his teeth. "Don't screw with me!"

"Oops…! I guess it's just us." Vanitas glanced around. It seemed they were there just to get him. He expected an ambush, but at least Aqua wasn't involved. Then, he became on guard once he noticed something move out of the corner of his eye. When he looked over, he saw a boy approach him. He sent a punch toward Vanitas, but he dodged. "Oh! I forgot to mention too… I have some other people who want to pay you back for what you've done. I hope you don't mind."

Vanitas looked around to see the boys pounding their fists into their hands. "We're going to pay you back for everything you did!"

Their leader approached. "Especially what you and that girl did to me!"

Vanitas squinted. The boy seemed somewhat familiar. "Who are you?"

A shocked look came on the boy's face. "Wha-?! How could you already forget me?! You were the one who broke my nose! It was you and that girl!"

Vanitas was unfazed. He remember the boy that tried to attack Aqua months ago, but he saved her just in time. "Oh! You're that idiot…"

The leader looked surprised, but then growled angry. "Get him!"

The other guys moved in and tried to hold him down, but Vanitas knocked a few back. He moved too quick for them to land a punch. Two boys grabbed onto his arms tight. Their leader moved in and tried to aim a punch toward his stomach, but Vanitas jumped up and planted both feet into his face. He cried out and fell back as blood spilled from his nose. Vanitas elbowed one behind him and punched the next. The boys approached again. One managed to strike Vanitas's face, but Vanitas quickly countered. The boys managed to get a few punches in before Vanitas managed to knock all of them down. Vanitas glared toward Xigbar. "That's the best you got?!"

Xigbar pointed his gun at him as he smirked wildly. "I can fix that!" He tried to shoot, but Vanitas rushed toward him. He grabbed Xigbar's wrist and held it up in the air. The two struggled. Then, Xigbar headbutted Vanitas which Vanitas closed his eyes tight. He struck a gun across his face and knocked him back. Xigbar tried to aim his gun again, but Vanitas pushed him back. He knocked the gun out of his hand. It slid across the ground. The two continued to struggle. Xigbar lifted his knee into Vanitas's stomach which made Vanitas cough out. Xigbar smirked. "I'm sure it's still hurts right there after what Lexaeus did."

Vanitas growled as he held his stomach. Xigbar was right. The hit to his stomach hurt more than usual, but he had to push the pain aside. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the gun on the ground. Xigbar took noticed as well. "Uh-Uh!" He pulled out his other gun from his pocket. Vanitas rushed over and lunged toward the gun on the ground. Quickly, he got on his knee and aimed toward Xigbar. Before he could fire, Xigbar shot first. Vanitas could feel the bullet pierce his shoulder blade. He pressed his teeth through the pain and shot forward. He managed to hit Xigbar in the right side of his chest. Xigbar fell down on the ground. Vanitas pressed his hand against his wound as he pressed down on his teeth. He could feel his pain grow stronger. Xigbar laughed a little. "You're nothing…but a traitor… You won't get away with this…No one gets out of this life without…giving up their own."

Vanitas stood up. "That's what you think… I did. Now all of you...can just rot." Vanitas turned and started walking out of the alleyway. Suddenly, he felt water drip on him. When he looked up, it looked as if it was going to downpour at any second. As he gazed toward the street, it dawned on him more that it was finally over. He could now live his life outside of the organization. Now he could finally be happy with the girl he loved most. It brought some relieve to him.

Suddenly, his eyes widened. The sound of a gunshot hit his ear first. At that moment, he felt something pierce through his chest. Pain course through him before his body became paralyzed. Feeling weak, the side of his arm bumped first against the wall, supporting the rest of his body. He slid down toward the ground. When he looked over, he saw Xigbar pointing his gun forward. Then, his head dropped to the ground. "It's like I said kid… Nobody gets out of this life…alive…" Afterwards, Xigbar fell unconscious.

Vanitas tried to move his body, but he couldn't. He could feel his body shutting down. Then, he gazed up toward the sky. Water began to pour down and rolled down his face. His eyes struggled to stay open. _"So…?"_ Then, his eyes lowered to a close as his head leaned against the wall _"This is how it ends…"_

Minutes later, the other boys woke up and got off of the ground. Nearby, Vanitas laid on the ground covered in blood and bruises. The boys looked around and noticed that Xigbar was gone. "Hey! Where did that other guy go?" one asked curious.

"Who knows?" the leader replied.

One of the boys leaned down and checked on Vanitas. "So what now?"

The leader stood up as the other boys waited to see what he would order next. Then, he kicked his foot against Vanitas's chest. "He's as good as dead anyway. Just leave him. We'll say that we took care of him." Afterwards, the boys walked away as they left Vanitas to die alone. Soon, Vanitas's phone rung, but there was no one there to pick it up.

Aqua walked into town with a umbrella over her as she searched. She tried to call him a few more times with the phone she borrowed, but there was still no response. No sign of him. She checked around everywhere he could've gone. The only place she hadn't checked was where he used to go, but she didn't know why he would go back there. It was then she decided. She walked in the direction where the warehouse was. Her eyes traveled along the dark alleyway. She was worried, but thought since Xehanort was gone, maybe it was safer to go through. She wanted to turn around, but she kept going.

Suddenly, she heard a noise which made her jump. When she looked over, she saw a cat jump off of the trash can onto the ground. A sigh of relief left her. She watched as the cat walked further down the path. Curious, she followed it as she stayed quiet. The cat walked over to something on the ground and stopped. It started sniffing. Aqua stopped and looked over. She noticed a pair of legs lying on the ground, immobile. A little concerned, she leaned over as she peeked. Once she saw who they belonged to, her eyes widened. Her eyes searched the body and recognized the black spiky hair. Her umbrella dropped from her hand as her other hand rose to her mouth shocked. "Vanitas…?" she whispered. She dropped to her knees. Shaking, her hand reached over and shook him a little. Blood stained his clothes and the ground beneath him, mixing with the muddy water. "Vanitas…?" He didn't respond. Distressed, she leaned his head onto her lap. "Wake up… Wake up!" The look on his face seemed peaceful. At that moment, she could feel her emotions overwhelm her, but she kept them under control and knew that it was more important to get help. She pulled out her phone as soon as she could. It was hard to press the numbers with her hands shaking so much, but she managed. "Please! Help me! I have someone here who's seriously hurt!"

* * *

Hours had passed. Aqua sat inside the waiting room as she held her head down. As soon as Vanitas arrived, the doctors took him into surgery since he was in critical condition. The same thought ran across her mind over and over again. She didn't understand how this could have happened. All she could hope was that Vanitas would make it through. She closed her eyes as she pressed her head into her hands. The wait unbearable. Before she knew it, night had changed into morning, but she still waited to hear some news that he was okay. In the meantime, she drifted between sleep and awake. "Excuse me? Miss?" Aqua jumped at the sound of the voice in front of her. A doctor came to her after he was informed of where she was. "Are you the one who brought in the injured young man earlier?"

Aqua nodded, anxious to heard an answer. "Is he okay?!"

"It was very touch and go. We did everything we could." Aqua started to get worried. She tried to prepare herself if she would hear bad news, but it was hard. The doctor held onto his chart. "In the end, he managed to pull through. He's out of surgery and he's in recovery. It's going to be a while before he can see any visitors, so you can go home if you wish."

Aqua stood up. "Please... I want to know how he's doing."

The doctor looked concerned. "He needs as much time as he can to recover. In surgery, he flatlined a few times. He was beaten pretty badly and the shot through his back really put a strain on his body." Aqua held her hand to her chest, worried. "He has several broken bones and bleed pretty severely, internally, in the lungs and stomach. It has made it hard for him to breathe. He was lucky that you brought him in when you did. He wouldn't have survived."

Aqua's eyes traveled down, concerned. It was good to hear that he was alive, but she just wished he was better. The doctor turned and began to walk away. Aqua stepped forward. "Doctor?"

He turned around, curious. "Yes?"

"Is there any way I can see him?" she asked.

The doctor looked concerned. "I wouldn't recommend-."

"Please…" Aqua pleaded. Water began to build in her eyes. "I've been waiting for hours just to see him. I can't just leave without seeing him once."

The doctor breathed in a little. He could see that Aqua was exhausted from waiting so long. "Are you his family?"

Aqua looked down. She was afraid that the doctor would say no, but she would be honest. "No. I'm…" She placed her hands together. "I'm his girlfriend, and we're really close and…I just want to see him and I know he would want to see me so please… I have to see him for myself."

The doctor sighed. He wasn't supposed to allow anyone that wasn't family. He rubbed the back of his head with his eyes closed. "Listen… He won't be awake, but I'm sure tomorrow you could-."

He turned around to see Aqua with the devastated look on her face. "Please doctor," Aqua pleaded with him again.

He started to feel bad. "It will be visiting hours soon. You could…" When he looked once more at the tired, sad look on her face, he couldn't take it anymore. A sigh left his lips. "I'm sure someone like his sister could stay if she wanted. I mean that's in our policy…"

Aqua wiped the tear from her eye as she smiled. "Thank you so much. This means a lot."

"He's hurt pretty badly. The best thing to do is let him rest. I'll get one of the nurses to bring in a bed for you once his room is set."

She nodded. "I understand. I just want to be there for him. Just in case he wakes up."

The doctor nodded. "I'll let you know when he's out of recovery." Aqua and the doctor smiled a little toward each other. The doctor walked away as Aqua sat back in her chair. She waited a few more hours before the doctor came back and led her to the room where they had placed Vanitas. The doctor let her in first. Slowly, she walked in. Only seconds later, she saw him. Parts of his body were covered in bandages and casts. She saw the mask over his face as a sign that he couldn't breathe on his own. The doctor left her alone afterwards. Aqua walked over and sat on the fold out bed that they had left for her to sleep on. She stared at the unconscious Vanitas. Seeing him there, she couldn't hold back anymore. Tears fell from eyes as she buried her face in her hands. Why did this had to happen to him? Why did they have to hurt him? The thought ran through her mind that it wouldn't have happened if she was there. He knew something bad would happen. A few minutes later, the doctor walked back in with a nurse beside him. The two could hear her sobs nearby. Sad looks came to both of their faces. They gave her a moment before they checked on him.

Later, two more nurses walked in to check on Vanitas. They looked over toward the corner to see Aqua asleep on the guest bed with her back turned to them. The two looked at her, worried. After they checked on Vanitas's condition, they quietly left from the room. As she slept, a tear rolled out of her eye. Even as she dreamed, she worried over him still.

The next morning, Aqua headed back to her house and walked through the front door. In the kitchen, her parents were already up. Her mother looked worried once she saw her. "Aqua!" She rushed over to her. She could still see that her face was still a little red and tired. "We've been so worried about you! You should've come back here." Her mother held up her face to see the sadness in her eyes. "You've been crying."

Aqua gave a faint smile to assure her. "I'm all right mother. I just didn't want to leave the hospital yet."

Her mother looked surprised, but worried. "You were at the hospital all night and the night before that. I really wished you would come home."

Aqua wiped her cheek. "I…don't want to talk about it."

"Well do you want something to eat?"

Aqua shook her head as she smiled a little. "No. I'm just going to stay here a little before I head back to the hospital." Aqua turned and walked upstairs.

Her mother looked concerned and then turned to her husband. "Our daughter has been crying."

Her father looked concerned as well. "Well this friend of hers in the hospital must be very important to her."

Later, her parents stepped out of the door. Her mother peeked over at the next house. It surprised her to see Aqua talking with Vanitas's mother. Both of them had sad looks on their faces. Her parents became curious as to what was going on. Aqua placed her hand on Vanitas's mother's shoulder as she gave a smile of comfort. His mother smiled a little as well and then Aqua nodded. Together, they walked away. Aqua's mother became suspicious as to what was going on.

At the hospital, Aqua sat beside Vanitas's mother as they sat at Vanitas's bedside. His mother smiled a little, despite her worry over her son. Then, her tired eyes traveled over to Aqua. "Thank you for letting me know that he was here. I wished that I could've been here sooner…" She grabbed Aqua's hand. "…but I'm thankful that you're here to watch over him." Then, his mother closed her eyes.

Aqua leaned over to check on her. "Are you okay?"

His mother shook his head. "It's nothing." Aqua placed her hands onto his mother's shoulder. Vanitas's mother opened her eyes. She was grateful that Aqua was there to comfort her. "I guess…I was just wondering…how I'm going to be able to afford this. First, Ventus now…"

Aqua smiled. "Don't worry about it. I can help with that."

His mother shook her head. "No. I couldn't ask you to do that."

"It's okay," Aqua assured her.

His mother smiled. "You really do care about him. You've always been there for him." As the two sat there, Aqua's parents walked in quietly to see what was going on. They saw Aqua and Vanitas's mother sitting together and a badly hurt Vanitas. An upset look came on Aqua's mother. Now, she really knew what was going on. She turned and left the room to the surprise of her husband. He followed after. After a few minutes, Vanitas's mother stood up to leave. Soon, Aqua was left alone with Vanitas.

After some hours had passed, Vanitas's mother returned home. As soon as she reached her door, Aqua's parents stood on their porch, getting ready to go inside. Once Aqua's mother spotted her, she became furious. She walked over to the fence which Vanitas's mother became surprised. "Hello Mrs-."

"What happened?!" Aqua's mother demanded to know.

Vanitas's mother was caught by surprised. "What-?"

Aqua's mother crossed her arms. "I see that your son is in the hospital! What did he do this time?!"

Vanitas's mother wasn't sure what was going on. "What are you talking about?"

Aqua's mother glared toward her. "I'm sure that my daughter has told you."

"No. She didn't know what happened to him either."

Aqua's mother shook her head, not believing it for a second. "Oh please! I wanted her to stay away from him!"

Vanitas's mother looked confused. "Why?"

"Because your son is no good for our daughter."

Vanitas's mother got a little upset. "Excuse me?"

Aqua's mother gave her a dull look. "Don't give me that. Do you really know what goes on in your son's life? You let him go around doing whatever he wants!"

"How dare you?!" Vanitas's mother began to raise her voice.

"I see you don't keep track of him. Why else would our daughter have to tell you that he was in the hospital?" Vanitas's mother looked down. "What else do you really know about your son?" Vanitas's mother stayed silence as she thought about Aqua's mother's words.

Aqua's mother closed her eyes. Her husband came over and pulled her away. "Don't do this."

Aqua's mother turned back to Vanitas's. "Keep your son away from my daughter!" Afterwards, Aqua's parents walked back inside of their house. Vanitas's mother stood in her driveway as she felt guilt for what she heard.

Later in the hospital, Aqua continued to sit in a chair beside Vanitas's bedside. She grabbed onto his hand as she smiled a little. She hoped that he would wake up soon. Then, she thought about everything that happened up to this point. Her eyes lowered to a close as she breathed out. "Vanitas…" She turned her head toward him. "Ever since the organization attacked you that night, I knew you needed help, but against what believed, I listened to you." She shook her head. "I should have brought you here first. You barely had any time to recover after it happened, so when this happened, it only made things worse." She pressed her forehead against the back of his hand as she closed her eyes tight. She could feel the tears well up in her eyes again. "I should've brought you here before. Then maybe…you wouldn't be this bad off…"

Afterwards, she stood up and took a last look at him one more time before she decided to go and come back later. She squeezed his hand in hers. "Please…Wake up soon." Before she walked away, suddenly, she felt his hand squeeze back. Aqua looked down at his hand surprised before she lifted her head up to his face. Vanitas closed his eyes tight as he felt some of the pain he was in. Aqua stepped in closer. "Vanitas? Vanitas!" He barely opened his eyes. Everything in his sight was blurry. Aqua smiled, relieved with her hand to her chest. "Vanitas..." Vanitas turned his head toward her. He could barely make out her figure, but he could hear her voice more. Happy, Aqua rubbed his hair. "Vanitas... I'm here." He stared at her for a few more seconds before he closed his eye tight. A loud sigh left his lips. He pressed down hard on his teeth. He could feel the pain hit him hard again. Unable to withstand it, he fell back to sleep. A few minutes after, the doctor walked in to check on him. Aqua turned to him, anxious. "Doctor! He was just awake! Just a second ago!"

The doctor adjusted his glasses. "That can happen sometimes."

Aqua turned back to Vanitas, concerned. "He still seems to be in some pain."

"We gave him something to help with the pain. It might be wearing off. We can only give him so much at a time." Aqua became concerned. She didn't like watching him in that much pain. The doctor smiled. "Don't worry. The fact that he's waking up is a good sign. It will be painful at times, but he still has a long to go before he recovers."

Aqua nodded. There was still hope. After he checked on Vanitas, the doctor walked out of the room. Aqua sat back down and decided to stay for a few more minutes. She grabbed onto Vanitas's again hand as she smiled. She wanted to be there just in case he woke up again. Then, some other people stepped into the room as Aqua continued to watch Vanitas. Aqua noticed them out of the corner of her eye and thought they were more nurses who had come to check on him. A hand was placed on her shoulder. Aqua looked back as she smiled. "Do you need me to-?" Once she saw who it was, the smile quickly left her as she was face to face with the stern glare of her mother. Aqua stood up and turned around to her parents. Her hand was still locked with Vanitas's. "Mother?!"

"You told me you would stay away from him! You lied to me!" A worried look came on Aqua's face. Furious, her mother grabbed onto her arm. "We are going home right now!"

She tried to pull Aqua along, but Aqua refused to move. "I can't go."

Her mother's eyes widened, stunned. "What did you say?"

Aqua pulled her arm back. "I can't leave him. He needs me."

"Excuse me?"

Before Aqua's mother could go for her, her father placed his hand on her shoulder to hold her back. "Honey! Please calm down."

Her mother looked up at her. "Come on Aqua. We're leaving."

Aqua was worried about what her mother would do, but suddenly, she felt Vanitas's hand squeeze hers. Surprised, she looked back at him. He still seemed unconscious, but it helped give her courage. She turned back to her mother. She shook her head as she looked down. "No."

Her mother got more frustrated. "Aqua you are disobeying your mother! Come with us right now!"

Aqua pressed her lips tight together nervously. She looked back at Vanitas and then to her mother. "I wanna stay here…just in case he wakes up."

Aqua's mother sighed. "I'm not playing around Aqua. You need to come with us now."

Aqua looked serious. "Mother. I don't want to go."

"Why do you care so much? Let the doctors take care of him. That's what they're paid for."

"I want to be here." Aqua's mother grabbed her arm again, but Aqua pulled back. "Listen! I know what you tried to tell me before, but it isn't true. I love him and I'm needed here." Aqua's mother left her mouth opened, stunned. Her husband pulled her along to leave Aqua there. Aqua sat back in her chair. She knew that there would be consequences later, but for now, she wouldn't worry and continue to watch over Vanitas.

Later that night, Aqua returned home. Her parents were in the kitchen waiting when she walked in. Her mother leaned off the counter and went in front of her. "Aqua. I am not happy about what happened today."

Aqua's eyes traveled down. "I know but-."

Her mother looked serious. "And that's why I want you to pack your things."

Aqua's eyes widened in surprised. "What? Mother you can't just kick me out!"

"I thought about it, but that's not why I'm asking you to pack your things. I made a few calls. I got you into the summer program at your college so that way you can get an early start."

Aqua stared at her mother, stunned. "But…I'm not ready to go yet."

"Aqua. You have to start at some point. Why not soon?"

She tried to get Aqua to turn and go upstairs, but Aqua refused. There was an upset look on her face. "You're just doing this to keep me away from here. I don't want to go."

Her mother frowned. "Aqua. You will be going, so pack your things tonight. You're leaving tomorrow."

Aqua looked shocked. Then, she shook her head. "No. It's not right. I'm not going."

"I'm not going to let you just stay here because of that boy! You want to stay with someone like that?! If we just let you go, how are you going to get by?"

Aqua looked determined. "We can be fine together."

Aqua was about to walk away toward the door, but her mother grabbed her arm. "I'm not letting you ruin your life because of him!"

"I'm going to go see him at the hospital! I'm not leaving!"

Suddenly, her mother raised her hand and slapped her across the face. A shocked look came on her father's face. He couldn't believe what his wife had done. Aqua turned her head to her mother who was angry. "You are going to forget about him and you are packing your stuff because you are leaving tomorrow! I'll be up in a few minutes to check on you!" Aqua stepped away as she stared at her mother. She placed her hand against her cheek. At that moment, she wasn't sure what to say or do, but she knew one thing. She wouldn't be forced to leave. Aqua turned and headed toward the door. As soon as she touched the knob, her mother spoke, "Aqua. Since you want to see that boy so badly, I'll be generous and let you say goodbye to him. Regardless, you will be going to school tomorrow and I rather have you not doing it kicking and screaming. Do this and we'll let you see him tomorrow. Spend as much time as you want with him." Aqua debated still about what she should do. After she made a decision, she opened the door and left. A day wouldn't be enough. She wanted to be there for as long as Vanitas needed her. Inside, her mother let out a sigh as she crossed her arms. She would have to try things a different way...

The next morning, Aqua returned home. She still felt uneasy about the way she left things with her parents, but she wished they would understand how she felt. Once she walked inside, her parents were in the living room. A little nervous, she spoke, "Listen…I'm sorry about last night, but this is important to me and I have to see this through."

With her eyes closed, her mother sighed. "We gave you the option to see him one last time, but you disobeyed us."

Aqua looked serious. "I've decided to stay here during the summer."

A serious stare came on her mother's face. "Let's go for a ride. I think we need a way to talk about this calmly."

Aqua nodded. She was glad she was being sensible. "All right."

In the car, her parents sat in the front as Aqua sat in the back. Her father drove away from their house and headed down the road. Aqua glanced toward the window as she wondered what she would say to Vanitas once she saw him and if he would be feeling better. As her father continued to drive, Aqua noticed that they were heading out of town. An uneasy feeling came over him. Eventually, they drove their car onto a ferry. Aqua leaned toward her father seat. "Dad?" He didn't respond.

Her mother frowned back at her. "Sit back Aqua. You know better than to lean forward like that." Her father continued to look forward. He felt bad for what he was doing.

After they docked and spent some time driving, they eventually arrived to a campus. Aqua looked confused. "Where…?" Realization dawned on her. "You lied to me…"

Her mother looked back serious. "We're taking you to your school now. It's already late enough as it is. It's better this way. If we need to, we'll say good bye to the boy for you."

Aqua's eyes widened. "Mother-!"

"Aqua. Once you go to school, I'm sure you'll forget all about him." Aqua sat back. Her back bounced against the back seat. She couldn't believe what her parents had done. Once they got to her school, they helped put her bags they hid in the trunk into her new dorm room.

Before they left, Aqua's mother grabbed Aqua's phone from her bed. Aqua's eyes widened in surprised. "What are you doing?!"

Her mother frowned. "I asked you to stay away from him. I see the only way to make that happen is to stop contact myself."

"You can't do that!"

"Here." She handed her another phone. "This phone will have all of the numbers you'll need for now. Please know that we're doing this for your own good."

Aqua looked down. Her mother left her phone on the bed. After they told her goodbye, they left her alone in her new room. Aqua took the new phone in her phone. It barely had anyone that she could contact to see how things were going on the island. Then, Aqua dropped her phone on her new bed. She lied down and closed her eyes. It seemed her mother would stop at nothing to keep them apart.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	40. SR & TR: Our Different Paths

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story! _ _I know I let off with a cliffhanger, but the answer will be revealed soon..._ _Expect to see more of the characters interact with each other and read stuff you won't find in the individual stories that I posted by themselves._ _I hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry Meets The Runaways (Sora, Kairi, Riku, Namine, Xion and Roxas side of the story)_

 _Chapter 39: Our Different Paths:_

"Can't wait?" Sora grinned toward Roxas as they walked together along the dirt road.

Roxas's eyes lifted toward the sky as he had his hands in his pockets. "I can't believe how fast a few months have passed. I know you can't wait to see her again."

Sora nodded and placed his arms behind his head. After the trip Kairi and he took, she had to leave the island for a few months along with Xion and Namine. Even though Sora and Roxas had each other and their friends to keep them company, they still missed the girls they cared about most. It was quiet not to hear from them. They made it toward the edge of the island and gazed out over the ocean. They couldn't help but feel a sense of peace as they stared over it. "Have you heard anything from Xion?"

"Not really..." Curious, Roxas looked over at Sora. "Have you heard from Kairi?"

Sora's eyes traveled down, disappointed. "Not much, but I know that they should be here soon."

Roxas was still surprised to hear what they did at the beginning of the summer. "I still can't believe that the two of you just ran off together."

Sora grinned as he placed his hands behind his head. "Yeah! It was really fun!"

Roxas arched his eyebrow. "I'm sure it was..."

Sora blinked, surprised. He sounded as if he had some suspicions. "What?"

"So… nothing else happened on that trip?" Sora let a nervous laugh and scratched his cheek. He knew what Roxas wanted to know, but he still didn't answer him, even when he asked the first time. Roxas gave him a suspicious stare. He couldn't pinpoint it, but he knew there was something Sora wasn't telling him. "I'm going to find out eventually. You could just tell me now."

Sora rubbed the back of his head as he looked toward the side nervous. "I told you. Mainly it was just us hanging out."

"Hmm…" Roxas crossed his arms. No matter how many times Sora told him the story, he still didn't believe him completely. Then, his eyes traveled down and toward the side. "You… didn't have to come and wait with me you know."

Sora became surprised by his words. "What? Why wouldn't I?" When he noticed the serious look on Roxas's face, he became uneasy. Sometimes, he just didn't understand what he was thinking. Then, Sora smiled toward him. "I don't mind waiting here with you."

"What about Riku?" Inside, Roxas was surprised that Sora decided to come with him instead.

Sora put his fist toward his lips. It was an awkward situation to be in. Roxas is his brother, but Riku is his best friend and someone he considered like a brother. It didn't seem like the two were going to get along. He wished that wasn't the case, but maybe it would work out someday. Sora smiled toward him. "It's fine. He said that he had somewhere else to go and that he would see Kairi later. Really, I don't mind being here with you."

Another reason came to Roxas's mind as to why. "Or maybe he doesn't want to run into Xion..."

Sora sighed with his eyes closed. It really was a messy situation. Then, he shook his head. He decided to look on the bright side. "Either way, at least we get to spend time with each other." Roxas's eyes widened in realization. Surprisingly, Sora had spent more time with him, but he wasn't sure why. Maybe Sora really did try to get closer to him as his older brother. The two stood by the ocean and talked while they waited. Suddenly, Sora's eyes widened as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. He heard a giggle behind his back. Sora turned around surprised to see a red-haired girl with a grin. Happy, he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her. "Kairi!"

Roxas turned around to Xion that was behind him. She tilted her head as she smiled toward him. "Roxas!"

A smile curved at his lips, happy to see her. "Xion." He tilted his head down and connected his forehead to hers.

Kairi parted from Sora a little as she kept her arms wrapped around him. "Did you miss me?"

Sora nodded. "Of course!"

The giggles slipped out one after another. She was happy to be with him again and she could tell that he was happy as well. "Finally we're back! We just got in. I couldn't wait to see you."

Sora smiled as he nodded. Then, they looked over. "Hey-!" Before Sora could greet Xion as well, he noticed that Xion and Roxas seemed busy. Roxas's arms were wrapped around Xion's back as her arms were wrapped around his neck. Their eyes were closed as they kissed.

Nervously, Sora and Kairi watched as the two reconnected in front of them. "Um…guys?"

"Hello…?" Sora tapped Roxas on the shoulder, but he didn't respond.

Kairi placed her hands behind her back as she looked at Sora. "I think they should come up for air."

Xion tilted her head down as she giggled with her eyes closed. "I think she's right."

Roxas gave Sora a dull stare. "I'm surprised that you aren't doing the same thing..."

Sora looked away as he blushed. It's not as if the thought didn't cross his mind. Kairi took a deep breath in as she turned toward the ocean. Even though it was a short time away, she missed the ocean and the salty air. "I'm glad that we're back."

Sora was curious. "How was it?"

Kairi looked back toward the others. "Summer school kept us busy, but it wasn't all bad. We didn't have our noses in books the whole time."

Xion's eyes lowered toward the ground as a feeling of guilt came over her. "But we wouldn't had to go if it wasn't for me…"

Kairi smiled for comfort. "I didn't exactly help the situation either..." She glanced over at Sora. Their recent trip didn't make it any better…

Without words, Sora knew what she meant. Then, he smiled as he let the thought go. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that you guys are here now. We should have fun on our last year of school."

Kairi nodded. "Right!" Their enthusiasm brought a smile to Xion's face. Maybe this year would be better. Kairi pointed back toward the road. "Now that we're here, do you guys want to grab something to eat?"

Sora looked over at Roxas. "I could eat! What do you say?"

Roxas shrugged. "Fine with me." Roxas and Xion turned and followed the road that headed toward town.

Before Sora could follow behind, he felt an arm grab his. As soon as he turned his head, he felt a pair of lips meet his. Kairi stood on one foot as the other lifted off of the ground. Surprised at first, his eyes lowered to a close. Soon, she parted from him with a smile that mirrored his. "Welcome back."

"About time!" Sora turned his head in time to see Roxas give him a dull stare.

Sora placed Kairi's hand in his and caught up with Roxas and Xion. "Yeah… yeah!"

On the other side of the island, near a ship port, Riku walked with his hands in his pockets toward the ocean. It seemed that a ship had already pulled in. A smile appeared on his face as he noticed a familiar face in the distance. "You finally made it."

He was greeted by a sweet smile. "You weren't waiting long, were you?" He shook his head. She reached her hand up and brushed his bangs aside. "I see you finally got a haircut."

He let out a smirk. "You've complained about it long enough," he said jokingly. Then, his lips curved into a gentle smile. "It's good to see you back…Namine."

The two began to walk beside each other. Namine turned her head toward him. "I'm surprised."

A curious look came on his face. "About what?"

Namine placed her hands together in front of her. "Kairi is supposed to return back today too. I'm surprised that you didn't go with Sora to see her."

"I always can later. Besides…" As he thought about the other reason, his eyes traveled away from her toward the ocean.

Even though he didn't say it, she already knew. "She and Xion were supposed to come back at the same time, which means…"

"Sora decided to go with Roxas instead," Riku finished. It seemed they were on the same page.

Namine's eyes traveled along the ground. She knew things had become different now with everything that happened. "Hmm…Maybe… it was for the best. It would be a little awkward if we all ran into each other."

"Maybe a little. Here. Let me help you." Riku reached over and grabbed her bags.

Namine let out a grateful smile. "Thank you Riku."

* * *

All four of them let out a laugh. Outside of a cafe, they sat at a table, underneath an umbrella. Sora turned his head to Kairi beside him. "Maybe we can see each other tomorrow. It can be the four of us again."

Kairi let out an apologetic smile. "I wish we could…, but mom wants us to spend time together before school starts. It doesn't seem like we can really get out of it."

Xion looked over toward Roxas with the same smile. "Sorry…"

Sora was little disappointed, but kept his smile on. "I guess next time then…"

Kairi placed her hand on top of his to assure him. They only had to be separated for one more day. "Don't worry. We will soon."

* * *

The next day, Kairi and Xion grinned as they walked toward the edge of the huge, white yacht near the railing. The breeze off of the ocean felt nice as it blew passed them. The crystal-clear water looked beautiful underneath them. From the lower deck, Namine walked out with her notepad underneath her arm as she smiled. The cool weather really did feel nice today. Then, she spotted Kairi and Xion ahead. A nervous feeling came to her stomach. Kairi and her haven't seen each other for a while and barely spoke. Now they would be alone together. She put aside her concerns and walked forward. Whatever happens, she would be ready. Kairi pointed up toward the sky. "See it?!"

Xion nodded. "Yeah!"

Then, Kairi noticed someone out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see Namine sit near the edge of the boat as she started drawing on her notepad. At first, Kairi stared uneasy. They always had a rocky relationship, but they were still family nonetheless. Determined, she walked over. Namine blinked surprised once she noticed her approach. Kairi stood in front of her. "Hi."

Namine gave a nervous smile. "Hi…!" Namine stood up in front of her. Xion stepped in toward them curious.

Kairi smiled a little toward her. "So…? How was school?"

Namine grabbed onto the edges of her notepad. "It was great! I've learned so much! How was it for you?"

Kairi glanced at Xion since they went together. "It was fun." Since they had a chance alone, she wanted to break the tension between them. "Listen. I know that things have been…strange between us, but we're family, so I hope that we can stay that way."

Namine nodded. "Yes. I agree." Xion let out a smile. She was glad that the two had finally made up.

Nearby, Aqua's parents headed toward their parents on the deck. "Our guests should be arriving shortly!" the girls' mother exclaimed with an eager look.

As the girls talked, they noticed another familiar face head toward them. Their happy expressions changed to surprise. Kairi was the first to speak. "Riku? What are you doing here?"

Riku noticed their surprise and became a little surprised himself. "I got invited by your parents. They didn't say anything about it?"

The girls looked at each other. Neither one of them had a clue that he would join them today. Then, Kairi looked at him along with Namine and Xion. "No. I didn't know that we could invite anyone. I thought it was just going to be us."

Uneasy, Riku's and Xion's eyes met. The quieter it got, the more awkward it felt between them. Xion grabbed onto her hands in front of her. "Hey..."

"Hey," Riku greeted her.

Kairi glanced between them. She figured the two needed some time to work things out as well. She turned her head toward Namine. "Namine? Maybe we should see what's going on." Namine glanced at Riku, unsure if he wanted to be left alone. He answered her silent question with a nod. Afterwards, Namine walked away with Kairi and headed toward their parents to find out what was going on. She knew it was something Riku needed to face.

Xion placed her hair behind her ear uneasy. It was hard after everything that happened, but she knew it was the one thing she wanted to fix. Her eyes met his. "I'm sorry... I'm sure I'm the last person you wanted to see. I'm…I'm really sorry about what happened between us. I never meant to hurt anyone. It's just…"

"You really care about him?"

Xion was surprised by his question, but then looked a little uneasy. She wanted to answer him honestly. "Yes... At first, I couldn't remember much in my past, so I thought I could start anew, but then I started remembering before I ended up in the hospital. The two of us knew each other for a year. We were really close. When I had no one else, he watched over me. I owe him a lot for what he did for me. I really cared about him a lot back then too." There was a sincere look to her eyes. "But I still missed when we used to talk to each other. You were my best friend…" She was worried to ask, but she had to know. "Could we…start over… and be friends again?" Uneasy, Riku looked toward the ground. Xion noticed his reaction. "I know…we may never be like we were again, but…I still miss you as my friend."

After he thought about it, Riku lifted his head to her with his final decision in mind. "That's fine."

Xion smiled as she breathed out a sigh of relief. She was grateful that he didn't say no. "Thank you." A small smile appeared on his lips.

Nearby, Kairi peeked to see the two smile at each other. It made her happy and relieved that they were getting along. At the same time, Namine became curious. She wondered if Riku had truly gotten over Xion… Then, Namine and Kairi looked over toward the other side of the boat as they noticed other people come on board. They blinked surprised. "Who…are those guys?" Kairi asked.

Their mother stood up from her chair as the other adults smiled. "We're hosting a party. These boys are on track to graduate this year and we're coming up with ideas to help them with school. I'm sure if you talk to them, they can help you decide on which school to pick. Make them feel welcome. Their mother held out her hands toward the girls. "These are my daughters Kairi, Namine, and Xion. Feel free to ask them any questions and thank you for stopping by." Soon, everyone started to greet each other.

Afterwards, their mother sat down beside Aqua's mother. They watched as the girls talked to the boys. Aqua's mother arched her eyebrow. "Any of them catch your eye?"

Their mother looked over toward Aqua's mother serious. "All of them seem smart and very charming. I'm sure they could find someone to get along with."

Aqua's mother frowned as she thought back. "Maybe you'll have better luck than I did. I tried to change Aqua's mind about that boy she liked, but she refused to listen to me. Hopefully, they'll be a chance now that she's away and Terra is nearby. Maybe it won't be too late them." As she closed her eyes, she let out a sigh. "I don't know what it is about that boy's family that has our girls so obsessed with them…" She looked over at the girls' mother. "I know you've experienced it as well. Those boys that hang around Kairi and Xion."

The girls' mother looked down uneasy. "Hmm…"

Then, the two mothers turned their attention to Xion as she talked to some of the guests. Aqua's mother frowned. "You don't want to end up with another accident, do you? Who knows what kind of controversy that would cause?"

The girls' mother breathed out. "No. I can't risk that happening again."

As one of the boys spoke to her, Kairi overheard most of what the women said to each other. She was already suspicious as to what was going on, but now, this confirmed what they were up to. "Does that sound okay?"

Kairi blinked surprised as she turned her attention back to the brunette boy in front of her. "What?"

He let out a gentle smile toward her. "Maybe we could spend a little time together and I can help you look for what you want to do."

"Umm…?" Kairi became uneasy with their conversation since she knew what this trip was really about. Then, she noticed Xion as she stood in front of three boy who spoke with her. Xion seemed uncomfortable being in front of a crowd. She had her hand on her arm as she occasionally glanced at the floor. Ahead, Namine sat next to Riku as she talked with him. At least, Namine was able to get away from the crowd. Sweetly, Kairi smiled toward the boy in front of her. "Excuse me for a minute." She slipped through the crowd. She went in beside Xion and placed her hands on her shoulders as she smiled toward the boys in front of her. "Sorry! I'm just going to take her for a little bit." She slipped her hand in hers and led her away inside of the boat.

Once they were alone, Kairi breathed out. It was a relief being out of that crowd. Xion looked a little surprised. "Thanks Kairi."

Kairi smiled toward her. "No problem. You seemed like you really needed to get away."

Uneasy, Xion rubbed against her arm. "Yeah."

Kairi glanced back toward the window. "I don't really want to stick around either. Now what should we do?" The two thought for a moment until Kairi spoke, "I have an idea." Xion gave Kairi a curious stare and followed her further in the ship. They went into one of the rooms. Kairi searched around. It was a small room with a window that had a view of the sea and bunkbeds on the side.

Xion realized what she was up to. They could hide until the party was over. "Good idea." Kairi locked the door behind her just in case anyone tried to look for them. Xion crawled up onto the top bunk and sat. Afterwards, she let out a sigh as her eyes traveled down. Kairi looked up at her curious. "What's wrong?"

Slightly, Xion shook her head. "It's nothing…"

Kairi became a little concerned. It seemed like something was on her mind. "What's is it?"

Xion's eyes traveled toward the side uneasy. "It was just crowded... that's all."

"Hmm…" Then, Kairi noticed the way Xion rubbed her hand up and down her arm where a few of her faded scars were. She climbed up the ladder and sat beside Xion. "I think mom was up to something bringing all of those boys on board."

Xion became curious. "What do you mean?"

Kairi frowned, upset. "I think that this was more of a setup to see if we would be interested in someone else rather than school."

A surprised look came on Xion's face. "You're saying that they rather us be with someone else?"

"I overheard Aqua's mom talking to our mom about how she didn't really approve of the person Aqua was with." Kairi glanced toward the floor as she thought back. "Aqua talked about it before, but I didn't think that mom would try…"

Xion was curious as to what she thought. "What?"

"Vanitas has a bad reputation, which explains why her mom doesn't want him around and what happened between you and Roxas…" her voice trailed off. "I knew that she was worried, but because of what happened, I think now… she's worried about me being with Sora."

Xion looked down concerned. She didn't mean to cause trouble for her. "I'm sorry…"

Kairi smiled as best as she could, but inside, she was upset by what her mother was doing. "There's no need to be." She placed her hand to her chest. "Nothing will change the way I feel about him."

Xion smiled at her words. Tired, she lied down on the bed. "I guess we'll hide out here for a while."

Kairi lied down beside her, face to face. "That's fine with me." She placed her hand on Xion's arm, which Xion looked surprised. "And so are your scars so don't be ashamed of them."

Xion's eyes widened toward her. "How did you know…?"

"I've been around you long enough. You kept rubbing your arm. At first, I thought you were nervous, but then I noticed that you were trying to cover your arm." Uneasy, Xion's eyes traveled down. She didn't think her habits were that noticeable. Kairi smiled to assure her. "They're barely noticeable and they're mostly faded. Even if they weren't, it doesn't matter. You're pretty just the way you are. I'm sure that's the way Roxas sees you too. He doesn't see the scars, only you."

Xion placed her head down as she wondered. Then, her eyes met with Kairi's. "Thanks Kairi." Kairi flashed her a smile. Xion leaned her head against her arm. "You and Sora are pretty close."

Kairi nodded as she relaxed. "Yeah."

"I'm sure that trip brought you guys closer," she sounded curious.

Kairi's eyes traveled over toward the side as she thought back. It really was a fun time for them. "Yeah... It really has."

Xion became nervous to ask her next question. "So… did anything else happen between them two?"

Kairi's cheeks filled with a little red. "What do you mean?"

Xion shook her head as she closed her eyes. "Never mind. It's nothing."

Kairi was curious about what she wanted to know. "What is it?"

Xion glanced between her and the bed. "It's just… Roxas thinks something happened between you two, but Sora won't tell him. Did something else happen?"

The blush on Kairi's face increased. Nervously, her eyes traveled toward the side. "I-It's like I said before. We mainly spend time together going to new places."

Xion let out a yawn and closed her eyes as she rested. "Right." Silently, Kairi breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't ask much more than that. Once thing quieted down, Kairi relaxed her head against the top of Xion's head. Feeling tired as well, she closed her eyes. Both of them fell asleep.

* * *

"Have you seen Kairi and Xion?" Their mother stepped over toward Namine and Riku who gave her a surprised look.

"No. We haven't," Riku answered.

Their mother sighed frustrated. She didn't understand how they could've disappeared. Nearby, the boys searched around, but saw no sign of them. "Would you see if you can find them?"

Namine and Riku glanced at each other. They stood up and started to search along with the others. Then, they searched the inside of the ship again through the hall. "Kairi! Xion!" Riku called.

Namine looked up at him. "They would have to be in one of the rooms." She came across a room that was locked. None of the other doors were. She glanced at Riku and then knocked on the door. "Kairi? Xion?" When no one asked, an idea came to mind. "Wait." She went further toward the front of the ship and grabbed a pair of keys that she saw earlier. She came back and unlocked the door. Inside, they saw a blanket piled on the top bunk. Both of them looked confused and curious. "Kairi? Xion?"

Suddenly, they heard a groan. Slowly, Kairi opened her eyes at the call of her name. Below her, she saw Xion asleep with her head against her chest. She shook her a little. "Xion…" The two took the blanket off of them and sat up. Below them, they saw Namine and Riku. Kairi rubbed her eyes. "How did you find us?"

Riku looked over at Namine. "Namine had the idea to use a key."

Namine smiled, a little proud. She placed her hands behind her back. "I see you two decided to skip out on the party."

Xion looked a little concerned. "Is it over?"

Riku nodded. "Yeah. We already docked."

Kairi smiled a little. At least they were able to avoid most of the party. "I'm sure mom isn't going to be happy..."

* * *

"I can't believe that she tried that." Kairi leaned back against Sora's chest. The thought of yesterday still made her upset. His knees were up on both sides of her as his arms were wrapped around her. Water brushed back and forth against the sand on the island. Hearing the ocean and only the two of them being there was nice.

Sora tilted his head toward her curious. "I'm surprised that Riku was there."

Kairi stared serious toward the water. "They all had something in common. They all came from good families that have either money or connections." Uneasy, Sora's eyes traveled down. He didn't like that her family tried to find someone else for her. "But it doesn't matter because I'm happy when I'm here with you. Remember our destines are intertwined no matter what." Then, she lifted her head curious toward him. He seemed unusually quiet. "Sora?"

Sora snapped out of his thoughts and blinked surprised. "Huh?"

She looked back at him curious. "What were you thinking about?"

Sora shook his head as he closed his eyes. "It's nothing."

Kairi turned toward him, confused. "Tell me what's on your mind." His eyes traveled toward the side as doubt began to fill him. What if she did want to find someone else? What if he was holding her back? When he lifted his eyes to her again, he noticed her stare deep into his eyes. Usually, he was carefree, but now, he seemed worried. It started to worry her. Unable to speak, his head lowered again. At first, she was unsure about how to cheer him up, but then, she did the only idea that came to mind. She flicked his forehead, which made him flinch. "Smile." A little surprised, he lifted his head to her. She let out a grin in hopes that he would smile too. "I'm with you no matter what, especially…" She pressed her hand against his chest. "…in here."

Sora stared at her. The smile on her face made his heart beat faster. He pushed away the doubt in his mind and smiled determined. He leaned his forehead against her as he closed his eyes. At that moment, he felt their love was strong. Now, all there was left to do was to prove it. "Thanks Kairi." Kairi was glad that he was no longer sad. Afterwards, they parted. "So? What are you doing this summer?"

Kairi blinked at him, surprised. "Spending it with you of course. Why?"

Sora grinned as he had a plan in mind. "Don't make any other plans yet. I have an idea."

Kairi was amazed. They were nowhere close to next summer, but he was already setting plans for them. "What is it?"

Sora winked. "It's a surprise!"

* * *

Roxas and Xion walked along the road beside each other. Xion brushed her hair aside as she stared forward. "If it wasn't for Kairi, I wouldn't have gotten away from that party." She let out a grateful smile. "She really has done a lot for me." When she glanced over, she noticed Roxas stare toward the ground with a serious look on his face. She became curious as to why. "What is it?" When he didn't answer, she stepped in front of him concerned, which made both of them stop. "What's wrong?"

Roxas baled his fist beside his leg. "Would it be better if we didn't…? What if there is someone better?"

Xion's eyes widened in surprised. More, she could see doubt start to fill him. "Don't say that. That doesn't matter." Xion smiled toward him. At that moment, she was ready to prove how much she cared for him. "I love you Roxas." Uneasy, his eyes traveled down. Instead of giving him hope in their relationship, it only filled him with more doubt. What if there was another reason she decided to be with him? What if she had only convinced herself that she loved him after everything they've been through? Maybe she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Xion leaned down a little to meet his gaze. "You heard me, right? I love you."

Unable to listen, he walked forward with his hands in his pockets, but he still held her words inside of him. "I'll walk you home." Xion stood worried. She didn't understand why he was so closed off...

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	41. Sibling Rivalry: Solace

_**Author's Notes:** __Thanks for keeping up with the story! Whether or not you're celebrating the holidays, I hope you have a good and safe time.  
_

 ** _Warning + Sort of spoiler alert for this chapter:_** _Things get graphic in this chapter so for anyone who doesn't want to read anything sexual, I've section it off like this: At the beginning I will put "xxx" and at the end you're see a line across the page. I know not everyone wants to read the graphic parts so I've made it a little easier to skip._

 _Hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Namine side of the story)_

 _Chapter 40: Solace:_

"Get a room you two!" Kairi loosened her embrace from Sora's neck and turned around to Selphie who grinned with her hands on her hips. Kairi shook her head as she smiled. That seemed to be the only thing they heard since school started. Ever since their friends found out about their trip, they've been constantly teased by them.

"Are you heading to the island?" Kairi asked, curious.

Selphie shook her head. "No. I heard a storm was coming so I think everyone will just go home." Selphie waved toward them. "See you guys later!"

Sora and Kairi watched as she took off. Then, they looked toward each other. "I'll walk you home."

Kairi nodded. "Sure."

Outside, the sky was filled with dark clouds. At any moment, it could start to rain. The two walked alone until they stopped in front of her door. He smiled toward her. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

Nervously, she smiled toward him. Another idea came to mind. "Well…if you have some time, you could come inside…"

A surprised look came on his face. "I thought that I couldn't."

"My parents are out and won't be back until later tonight. We could hang out a little more and help each other with our homework." She giggled. "Or really I could help you with yours."

He shook his head and grinned as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not that bad off." A little uneasy, he lifted his head to her. "If you're sure…"

Happy, she nodded and opened the door. "Hello?!" her voice echoed inside of the huge house. There was no response. He closed the door behind him as she looked back toward him. "Doesn't seem like anyone is here. I didn't think so. Xion usually hangs out with Roxas and Namine usually stays after to work on her art. We have the house to ourselves."

He nodded as he smiled. "Cool."

She stepped over toward the fridge. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Sure." Kairi grabbed two cans out of the fridge. Afterwards, he followed her to her room. Curious, Sora looked around. The only other time he had been in her room was when they were little.

She closed the door and sat down on the bed. "Wanna get started?"

He nodded and sat beside her. "Sure."

They pulled out their books and papers from their bags. Time seemed to flow by as they worked together. During their studies, Sora let out a yawn, bored. He lied on her bed on the opposite end from her and took his book with him. He tilted his head against his hand as he let out another yawn. Things were quiet and reading was putting him to sleep. Then, he lifted his eyes to Kairi across from him who was focused. Her back leaned against the pillows as her knees were bent upwards and her book was in her lap. A faint smile curved at his lips. She did look cute while she worked. His eyes traveled further down from buckled knees to her feet pointed inwards. A slight blush came to his cheeks. His eyes blinked a few times as he looked away. The memory of their trip came to mind. They hadn't been alone like this in months. Then, he looked over toward her. His eyes traced along the edge of her inner thighs... "Sora?"

"Hm?" He responded automatically at the call of his name, but he was lost in thought.

"Sora?" Kairi leaned forward with her hands against the bed, which caught him by surprise. He jumped and leaned back as red still covered his cheeks. She gave him a curious look. "Do you want it?"

His eyes widened. "What?!"

She giggled at his weird reaction. She pointed toward his book. "The answer? Do you want the answer to the question? You've been stuck on that same page for what seems like hours."

He smirked. "It hasn't been that long. I think I can get it." Kairi grinned. She placed her back against the pillow and continued working. Sora relaxed a little. He looked back at his book, but it was hard to concentrate. Nearby, he heard a sigh. When he looked over, Kairi turned on her side with back turned to him. She stared down at the book in front of her. Sora's eyes traveled along her legs toward the curves of her hips and thighs. Her skirt was slightly raised up. At first, he hesitated, but then, he couldn't resist. His fingers grazed the bottoms of her feet to her ankles. The first giggle caused him to stop for a second, but it couldn't be helped. Her grin was infectious. He lightly tickled her again which caused her to giggle. She sat up. Tired from reading, Kairi stopped and let out a sigh as she gave a sad smile. "I wished that we could spend more time like this."

"Yeah." Sora smiled toward her. "We will soon. This is our last year in school. Soon, it will be the rest of our lives."

Kairi wondered what the future held for them. She turned her attention back to her paper. "All right! Onto the last question."

Sora became interested. "And then what?"

Kairi shrugged. She didn't really have anything else in mind. "Whatever you want to do after I guess."

A smile curved at his lips. "Really…?"

"Sure." She looked toward her paper as she started writing her answer.

A mischievous grin crossed his lips. Sora got up off of his stomach and sat up in front of her. He slipped in between her legs and placed his hands on her hips. A nervous look came on her face as she looked up at him. The move surprised her. "Then we should hurry."

"What?" Kairi was at a loss for words. He gave her a faint smirk. He moved in closer to her. His lips brushed against the skin of her neck and placed a kiss. A shiver ran through her body. "I…Um…?" she stammered as she could feel him kiss her neck more. It was hard to think at that moment. He moved away from her and met her gaze. She glanced between him and her bed. Her fingers fiddled through her scarlet hair. "We-we really should finish…"

Sora smirked as he tilted his head. "It really was a fun vacation."

Kairi smiled fondly at the memory. "Yeah…" Then, she looked at him surprised. His finger slipped through the opening in her tie and loosened it from around her neck. Her eyes lowered to a close as she felt his lips press against hers. She leaned back against her pillows as he came over her.

Minutes later, they parted from each other. One by one, he loosened the buttons of her shirt. "I never thought we would get the chance for us to be like this." His hand slid along her stomach, opening her shirt a little more. Her eyes lowered to a close as she could feel his hand squeeze the cup of her bra. Then, he reached up and started to untie his tie. "Did you figure out the last answer yet?"

She smirked at him. "Yeah…but I don't have to tell you." She reached up and slid the tie from off his neck.

Jokingly, he sighed. "I guess I can just make you."

"You can try." Kairi let out a giggle as he moved in toward her again. His hands spread her shirt out further. Against her stomach, she could feel his hands unbutton his shirt. A trail of kisses was placed from her neck to chest. She breathed out as she closed her eyes, feeling the touch of his lips. He reached down and slid her underwear further down her legs. A little worried, she looked up at him. "What if someone comes back?"

Sora smiled to assure her. "We can still make it look like we're studying. Not everything has to come off." As he leaned in closer, his hand traveled along the side of her leg, underneath her skirt.

Later, Namine opened the door downstairs and closed it behind her. Today was tiring so she decided to head back early. She headed upstairs toward her room. She thought about seeing if anyone else was there, but she was too tired to check. Things were quiet upstairs as she walked passed the doors. She headed toward her room until she heard a sound. It made her stop in place. Surprised, she looked back. She wasn't sure what it was. Curious, she stepped back toward Kairi's room since it was the only door that was closed. It didn't sound like anything or anyone was there. It made her question if she just heard things. Afterwards, she shook her head. She walked away toward her room while she tried to decide what she wanted to do first now that she was home. All of a sudden, she heard another sound. It couldn't have been in her mind this time. Uneasy, Namine stepped back toward the closed door that led to Kairi's room. Quietly, she tilted her head toward the door. The sound was faint, but the voice inside let out an audible whimper.

"A-Ah…" Kairi closed her eyes as she could feel another light, playful pinch at her collarbone. Her body lied flat against her bed as he hovered over her. Sora lifted his head from her right shoulder. His fingers continued to tease underneath her skirt. Another sigh left her lips as she felt him slide his finger in once more. Her back to arch against the bed. It seemed that he had complete control of her body. Outside, before Namine could step back, her feet tripped against the carpet and she fell back against the floor. Her bag swung forward and hit the floor beside her. Once Kairi heard the noise, quickly, she separated herself from Sora and sat up. "What was that?"

Curious, he sat up with his knees pressed to the bed. "I don't know. Is someone here already?" Not only could she hear Kairi's voice through the door, Namine's eyes widened in surprise more as she recognized the other voice. Kairi got up as she quickly worked to button her shirt and peeked outside of the door. When she looked around, she didn't see anyone in sight. She searched the hallway, but no one was there. Curious, Sora stepped out beside her as his pants hung unbuttoned and unzipped around his waist and his shirt open. "Anything?"

Kairi looked around one more time. It was strange, but she was sure she heard something at her door. "No, but… I'm sure I heard something."

Sora let out a smile. "Maybe it wasn't anything." Pushing the distraction aside, he wrapped his arms around her waist as he rested his head on her shoulders. "Besides I thought you wanted to finish doing homework."

She placed her hair behind her ear as she looked back at him. "I don't think what we were doing was a part of the assignment."

His grin was infectious. "It was apart of mine." Kairi let out a slight giggle. Playful, he kissed her ear. She followed him back inside and closed the door behind her.

After things turned quiet, Namine stepped out from her room. From further down the hall, Namine could hear another giggle escape from Kairi's lips. Her eyes traveled down disappointed. From what she saw, she realized how far their relationship had gone. Inside, it surprised her and at the same time saddened her. No longer did she want to stick around while they were the only two there. Quietly, she slipped passed Kairi's room and headed downstairs. She placed on her shoes and headed out of the door.

* * *

Riku glanced out of the window as he noticed the rain pouring down heavily outside. It was loud enough that he could hear it pounding against the roof. In the background, the television was turned low as it was the only light that lit the room. There was nothing on that caught his attention. All of a sudden, he heard a knock at the door. Confusion became written on his face. He had no idea who would be at his door especially now. Curious, he opened it. Once he saw who it was, he stood, stunned. "Namine?!"

"I didn't know where else to go…" Her head lowered toward the ground.

Riku moved aside and let her in. He noticed the look of disappointment on her face. Namine walked in silence and he closed the door behind her. Riku was surprised that she came to see him. "What are you doing here? You're all soaked."

"Do you mind…if I stay here for a little?" she asked.

Riku looked a little concerned. He didn't understand what was going on, but he wanted to help. "Hold on a second."

Namine waited until Riku appeared again with a towel in hand. He held it out in front of her. "Here. You can sit if you want. You look tired."

Namine lifted her eyes to him. "Are you sure? I don't want to get anything wet."

Riku placed the towel against the top of her head and dried her a little. "It's fine. Do what you want." Namine sat down and took over drying herself. "I'll get you something warm to drink." He looked back at her one more time before he headed into the kitchen. He had no idea what would have brought her over to his house.

Namine continued to dry her hair. Her eyes lowered toward the ground. Then, she noticed a cup held in front of her with steam coming out of the top. Namine placed the towel around her neck and took the cup. "Thank you."

Riku sat beside her. "What would make you walk all the way in the rain?"

The memories of earlier flooded back to her. "I just…had to get out of there."

"Where?" he asked curious.

Namine stared toward the ground. "Home…"

Riku looked a little confused. "Did something happen?"

At first, she was unsure if she should tell him, but lately, he had been the only person that she could really talk to. "Well…" She looked toward the side. "I…I guess…" Finally, her eyes landed on Riku. "I guess Sora and Kairi have…taken the next step in their relationship..." her voice faded toward the end.

A look of confusion came on Riku's face. "Next step?"

Namine stared at him in silence as he searched her eyes for the answer. Besides the affection they showed in front of them, what else was there? "Something…closer…" she hinted toward him. Her eyes lowered as she grabbed onto the cup tighter with her hands. "Something…more physical…"

The answer finally hit him. His eyes opened a little more in surprise. "Ohh…!"

Namine shrugged as if it was nothing as she looked toward the side. "I guess… it was bound to happen at some point."

"Hmm…" Riku became concerned. Then, he looked over at Namine. "But that doesn't make it any easier on you. I thought you were over this by now."

Namine let out a sigh. "I thought I was too..."

Riku stood up from the couch. "Well you can stay here if you want. My parents won't be back for a while."

Namine looked over curious and surprised to hear. "How long will they be gone?"

"Most of the night," he replied.

A gentle smile curved at her lips. "Thank you." Quickly, Namine stood up worried as she noticed that her clothes were still wet. "Sorry! I must be getting everything wet!"

Riku remained calm. "It'll dry."

Namine placed her hands behind her back as she smiled. "Thanks." Riku nodded toward her. Namine took a look around. "I've… never really been to your house before."

Riku nodded toward the side. "Come on. I'll show you around." Namine followed Riku and stopped by the kitchen first. It was a descent size like hers. He led her into the hallway. "Over there is my parents' room." He pointed further down the hall. "There's the bathroom." Then he stopped in front of an open door. "And this is my room." Namine stepped in and looked inside. She placed her hands behind her back as a smile came to her lips. "Your room…it's really nice." It was neater than she expected.

Riku leaned against the door as he crossed his arms. "You don't have to say that you know."

Namine turned to him and smiled. "I really do like it." After things turned quiet, she let out a yawn.

Riku returned a faint smirk toward her. "You can sleep here for a little too while if you want." Then, his lips parted as he stared her. He noticed the way her wet, white shirt stuck to her and revealed every detail and curve of her body.

"Riku?" When he snapped out of it, he noticed Namine with a curious look.

A serious look came to his face. He walked passed her and searched through his drawer. "I'll get you something to wear. I don't want you to get sick."

Namine looked down surprised at herself. She didn't seem to notice as much anymore. "Oh! Thank you."

"In the meantime, I can throw your clothes in the dryer. You can't go home like that." Namine looked surprised. She was touched that he was taking care of her. He gave her a shirt and a pair of shorts that she could wear. "I'll be back after you change."

Namine gave a faint smile. Then, she looked over at him. "Sorry... I didn't mean to put you out of your own room."

Riku glanced at her one more time as he smiled a little. "You're not. I'll be close by if you need anything." Afterwards, he stepped out of the room. Namine looked around his room one more time. Just by looking alone, she felt like she started to learn more about him. Little things that he hadn't shared with her before. Afterwards, she tried to remove to unzip her skirt, but it was stuck. She struggled a little. Finally, she let out a sigh. "Everything okay?" she heard a familiar voice behind her. Surprised, she looked behind her to see Riku walk back in.

She kept her head down as she tried again. "It's stuck." He walked in toward her. Nervous, she laughed. "It can be a problem sometimes." His fingers grabbed onto her zipper and managed to get it loose. He stood up straight as their eyes met. "Thank you." For a moment, they stared at each other as they tried to read what the other thought. Then, his eyes lowered toward the ground. "I'll come back."

"It's okay. So? Where would you like me to sleep?"

His eyes traveled over toward the bed. "You can take my bed if you want."

Namine shook her head. "I already feel like I'm kicking you out of your room. I don't want to kick you out of your own bed."

"It's okay," he assured her.

Namine smiled toward him. "Thank you for helping me again. I… didn't know who else to turn to."

He shook his head. He didn't mind her being over. "It's no problem."

"I'm glad that you're here. You've really helped me."

Gently, he smiled toward her. "It was nothing."

Namine turned away from him as she started to unbutton her shirt. Uneasy, he looked down. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

Riku stared toward the door. "Sure."

Namine looked back toward him. "I haven't seen you talk to anyone else."

Confused, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "What do you mean? I talked to you guys."

"I meant…I was just wondering if…you found someone you were interested in," she said curiously.

His eyes traveled toward the side. "Not really."

Namine looked at him for a little longer. Then, she let out a smile at the fact he was being a gentleman. "You know…During the summer, I was… nervous about what I had to draw during art school, but then... you get used to what you see. The body can be a beautiful thing." Afterwards, she reached behind her as she loosened the hooks of her bra. "I also wondered what it would be like to… to be with another person in a way you haven't before. Have you?"

He scratched his head as he looked off toward the side. "I don't know… Maybe…" his voice trailed off quiet. Riku started to walk away to give her some time alone, but then felt her hands grab his. A little red filled his cheeks. He noticed the way she smiled at him and how her uniform was open and loose around her. His eyes traveled away from her as he tried not to stare.

Namine let go of his hand. "You've been there when I needed you, but I haven't done the same for you."

Confused, he turned his head to her. "What are you talking about? You've been a good friend." At his response, she let out a gentle smile. "Now get changed." He turned away from her as he put his hands in his pockets.

Namine finished getting undressed. Afterwards, she reached for the clothes on the bed, but then she stopped. A thought came to mind. After some consideration, she came to a decision. She breathed out as she closed her eyes. It was risky, but she wanted to try. "Ready…"

Riku turned around. Right away, his serious expression changed to surprise and nervousness. "Namine?!" She stood with her arms across her chest as she smiled nervous. His eyes tried to travel anywhere but her. Still, it couldn't have been helped. "W-What are you doing…?"

Nervously, she looked down. She fiddled with her fingers. "Do you think…that someone would think…that I was pretty…?"

The look on his face became sincere. "Of course." His eyes traveled toward the side. "I can put everything in the dryer if you want."

Without looking at her, he walked over and reached for her clothes on the bed. Feeling more comfortable, her arms lowered at her sides. Lightly, she grabbed onto his wrist. "I think… that can wait. I think…I want to try…if you want to…" her voice grew quiet.

Nervously, he rubbed the back of his head. "Wouldn't you rather with someone else?"

She reached over and grabbed his hand. "Unless you rather…?" When he didn't respond, Namine stood up on her toes to reach him and pressed her lips against his. His body froze in place. Several thoughts and emotions crossed over him. After a little time, she parted from him and gazed into his eyes. It was hard to read what he was thinking. Lightly, she kissed him again in an attempt to find out. Both of them breathed out.

He opened his eyes to her. "The last time you said this wasn't right. How is this time any different?"

Her eyes searched his. "Apart of me…wished you would've done it again." Inside, he was surprised to hear that, but remained calm. She grabbed onto his hand and pressed her lips to his one more time before she walked backwards from him. She sat back against his bed with her knees up as she never took her eyes off of him. Her fingers intertwined. "It will just be the two of us…right? We could try and…see…"

He stepped over toward her and sat on the edge of the bed. "You sure about this?"

She gave him a sincere look. "I want to know…what it's like…"

"Hm." His eyes traveled toward the side. Inside, he was curious. Namine sat down beside him as she looked up at him. She placed her hand against his cheek and turned his head toward her. Softly, she pressed her lips against his. His eyes lowered to a close as he became more relaxed. She leaned backwards as he leaned forward. Riku wrapped his arms around her back as his body pressed against hers. Curious, her blue eyes searched his green ones as to what he would do next. Soon, he tilted his head down and kissed her. Less, his mind and body started resist the idea.

XXX

Things started off slow between them. Her hand slipped underneath his shirt. She could feel his hard chest and stomach. The heat from his body felt warm against her cold skin. They separated for air as their eyes met. She let out a smile toward him as her fingers brushed against his short, silver hair. She thought about before when she joked about his long hair. Noticing her look, he let out a smirk. It seemed they were thinking the same thing. He tilted his head down toward her face. Their lips met again as their eyes lowered to a close. The kiss between them became more intense. His tongue brushed against her bottom lip before he slipped in completely. Her lips parted more. Her tongue followed the rhythm of his. Heat began to run through her cheek like his. After he separated himself from her, he sat up. He reached over along with her and pulled his shirt up from off his body. A serious look came to his face as he stared down at her. This would be their last chance to turn back.

Red came across her cheeks as she sat up on her elbows. Her hand ran along his abs. Her eyes traveled, taking in each detail of his well-toned body. Nervously, she sat up in front of him. She left small kisses against his chest up toward his neck. A sigh left his lips. It didn't seem as if she would change her mind and already his body became anxious to continue. Thoughts of holding back left his mind. He leaned forward as she leaned back against the bed. He went forward into her waiting arms. He placed kisses against her collarbone and trailed further down toward her chest until his lips stopped at the center of her right breast. Her eyes lowered to a close as she let out a moan. She had never felt a sensation like the one he gave her. His hand brushed along her side onto her other breast where his warm hand had covered completely. Her head tilted back. This was a new yearn, a new pleasure. She became completely taken by him.

Unbearably, her lower half began to ache. Her hips shifted as he pulled her underwear along her legs to her feet. Namine sat forward and pressed her lips to his as her hand brushed against his face. The other ran through the strands of his hair. Anxiously, Riku sat and loosened his belt and pants. He tossed the rest of his clothes aside onto the floor. He pressed his forehead against her as they could both hear the other panting. He leaned forward causing her to lean back onto her bed without breaking their kiss. She placed her hands against the muscles of his back as she held onto him. Her knees raised at the sides of his waist. Soon, she closed her eyes tight as she let out a painful moan. Her nails dug into the skin of his back. She could feel him fill her completely. Riku breathed out as he closed his eyes. As he pushed in, he could already feel pleasure. Her walls already felt tight around him. Slowly, he shifted back and forth as he tried not to reach his end yet. Tighter, she grabbed onto his back as she could feel his muscles tensing. It took some time, but she had slowly gotten used to him. His head lowered toward the side of her neck as he continued to touch her. Her lips parted. The pain slowly began to mix with pleasure. A moan escaped from her lips. The pleasurable feeling between them began to intense. Their minds faded into the background. Sweat dripped from his body onto hers and combined with her own.

When he lifted his head, Namine opened her eyes to him. The next thing she saw made her eyes widened, surprised. A different image crossed her mind as he stared down at her. There was the gentle smile she had come to know along with his spiky brown hair and blue eyes. Her body froze.

At the same time, Riku stared at her stunned as well. For a moment, the image of Namine changed into a girl with short, black hair and blue eyes as her lips were curved into a smile. "Riku?" Riku shook his head and snapped himself out of what he just saw. Below, Namine had a curious look on her face. "Is something wrong?"

Quickly, he shook his head. His body was still anxious to finish. He ignored what he just saw and continued to push harder into her. "No." A growl became mumbled in his throat as he closed his eyes tight and buried his head into her shoulder. "No." The moment became intense between them once more. The image she saw of Sora was pushed into the back of her mind just like Riku's image of Xion. Every muscle in his body tensed. No longer could he hold out. He moved himself deeper as he felt on the edge and caused her back to arch. A loud cry escaped from her lips. Both of them closed their eyes tight as they could feel themselves reach their peaks. A groan escaped from his lips as he released. Exhausted, all the energy was drained from his body. His arms could no longer support him. He moved aside beside her. The only thing they could hear is the other breathing hard. Namine grabbed the blankets and moved them over her body.

* * *

After they took some time to recover some, in silence, he looked over toward her. "Are you okay?"

She turned her body toward him and nodded. "Yeah. Do you mind if… I take a bath?"

He sat up beside her and nodded. "Yeah. I'll get some towels for you."

Afterwards, Namine sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed with the covers still wrapped around her. Even though she had given herself to him, she still felt nervous around him. Still, she didn't regret it. "Thank you." Riku sat up and got off of the bed. He threw on his boxer he tossed on the floor. Namine looked over at him concerned as another thought came to mind. She didn't want to be rude. "I'm sorry! It's your house. If you want to go first, that's fine. I can wait."

He walked toward the door. "It's fine. I can just use the other one."

After they separated, Riku stepped into the other shower. Hot water dripped all over his body. His eyes closed as he rubbed his hands against his face. He was still concerned over the image of Xion he saw and didn't understand why she would appear to him. It made him question what he should do next...

Namine relaxed as she submerged herself in the warm water. Her eyes lowered to a close. The moments of them flashed through her mind. She wondered how things would affect them now. Then, guilt began to grow in her stomach. She placed her hands onto top of it. She didn't understand why Sora came to mind. She thought that she was finally over her feelings for him, but maybe, she truly wasn't. Only time would tell. After she was done, she wore a robe as she used a towel to dry her hair. When she stepped out, she saw Riku walked toward her. Nervously, she smiled toward him. He handed her his shirt and shorts from earlier. "Here. I still have to dry your clothes."

Namine smiled and took them from his hand. "Thank you. I guess I should have worn these earlier."

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

Namine lifted her eyes to him surprised. "Hm. Oh! Yes! I could eat."

Riku rubbed the back of his head. "I'll see what he got."

Then, an idea came to Namine's mind. "Okay, but leave the rest to me."

Riku looked at her surprised. "Huh?" All she left him with was a smile.

A few minutes later, Namine glided from the fridge to the counter as she placed food on the counter as she hummed to herself. Across from her, Riku sat on one of the chairs as he watched her bounce around with a smile on her face. It made him smile in return. She seemed happy. "Did you draw anyone like me while you were away?"

"Hmm…" Namine stopped and took a second to think. "Not really, but I would like to. You have a lot of defining features."

"I'll take that as a compliment." She let out a giggle as he let out a slight chuckle. Then, he became a little concerned. "Are you…sure you're okay?"

Namine smiled and nodded to assure him. "Yes." She placed her hands behind her back. "I'm glad that you let me stay."

"I don't mind." Then, his eyes traveled toward the ground. "Namine…" Curious, she looked toward him. The tone in his voice sounded serious. Then, he lifted his head toward her. "Maybe it's better…if this was only a one-time thing…"

Namine pressed her fist to her chest as she looked worried. Then, her eyes traveled down along with her hands. Her fingers fiddled in front of her. "Did I…do something wrong…?" At first, there was no response. "I rushed things… didn't I? I'm sorry."

Riku shook his head. Inside, he still felt guilt for the image of Xion he saw. Maybe he wasn't ready to move on yet even when he thought he was. He pressed his hand against his chest. "This has to do with me. Something happened back there and…it wasn't fair to you. You were right before. We should've stopped this before it went too far." Namine's eyes lowered toward the ground. "You're still my friend. I don't want to lose that."

She let out a bittersweet smile. It made her reflect on her own feelings. Was she ready to move on? "You're right. I don't want to lose our friendship either."

He looked curious. "You must be upset with me."

Namine shook her head. "No! It was my idea. I wanted to see what it was like and you were only following what I wanted."

He became nervous at his next question. "Was it…okay?"

A blush came to her face as she became nervous. She nodded toward him. "Hmm-hmm." He breathed out a sigh of relief. Namine walked around the kitchen counter. "I should go."

Before she could leave the kitchen, she felt him grab her arm. There was a sincere gaze in his eyes when she looked at him. "Wait! I told you that you could stay. Stay as long as you want. I don't want you to be alone tonight especially if you didn't eat first." At first, Namine stared at him surprised, but then, she nodded. He let go of her arm and she went back to the other side of the counter. As she continued to make dinner, the two glanced at each other and smiled. Things soon began to relax between them again.

The next morning, Riku opened his eyes as the sun shined through his window. His eyes traveled over to see light blonde hair beside him. Gently, she was breathing softly beside him as she was still sleep. A tired smile curved at his lips. He curled more beside her and fell back asleep.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	42. The Other Side: Returning

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story! I hope everyone had a great holiday and have a happy new year!  
_

 ** _Warning + Sort of spoiler alert for this chapter:_** _Things get graphic in this chapter so for anyone who doesn't want to read anything sexual, I've section it off like this: At the beginning I will put "xxx" and at the end you're see a line across the page. I know not everyone wants to read the graphic parts so I've made it a little easier to skip._

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence: (Aqua, Vanitas, Terra, and Ventus side of the story)_

 _Chapter 41: Returning:_

As the day came to an end, Aqua stepped out of her last class. As she walked, her eyes gazed at the sunset in the horizon. A slight breeze blew through her long, blue hair. Her fingers brushed along the strands. Things had changed over the months she had been at school. Summer had gone by quickly. Before she knew it, spring was upon them. The weather felt comfortable enough to stay outside. On campus, she found an empty table to sit at. She pulled out a book and a piece of paper and began writing. After she worked for a little, she gazed up at the orange sky as she rested her head on her hand. The sight was beautiful, but she couldn't smile. Sometimes, moments of sadness would creep on her. Her mind traveled back to the last day she was on the island. To this day, she still didn't know what had become of Vanitas, whether he was okay or not. During the summer, she stayed in a dorm, but after summer was over, her parents had given her an apartment to stay in. She had made attempts to go home, but her parents wouldn't let her since they were afraid that she would go find Vanitas. They wouldn't tell her anything about him and wanted her to keep focus on her studies. She hadn't heard from Vanitas either. Soon, she turned her attention back to her work and began writing.

Nearby, someone stopped once they noticed Aqua sitting at the table alone. A smile appeared as they walked over toward her. Aqua could hear footsteps advance toward her, but chose to ignore it and concentrate. "Hey."

Aqua was a little surprised. The voice sounded male. When she looked up, she spotted a familiar face. "Oh! Hey Terra!"

Terra sat down at the table. "Working out here now?"

A nice breeze blew by. She placed her hand underneath the strands of her hair as she gazed toward the sky again. "Yeah... The weather feels nice." She buried her mouth inside of her burgundy turtleneck. "It won't be long before it's summer again. How are your classes going?"

Terra leaned back in his chair as he relaxed. "They're all right. They're keeping me busy. I was wondering if you want to grab something to eat later."

Her eyes lowered as she went back to focusing on her assignment. She didn't feel much like going out. "Sorry, but I have to study for this test."

"Come on! You got to eat at some point."

When Aqua lifted her head, she saw the pleading smile on Terra's face. She let out a sigh and smiled a little. "I guess you're right... I'll meet you back here in a few hours."

Terra nodded. "All right." Afterwards, another thought came to mind that he noticed. "You seem better."

Aqua gave him a surprised look. "What do you mean?"

"When you first came here, you seemed like you were off in another place. You were different, but now you seem back to your old self."

Aqua placed her hair behind her ear. She didn't think it was that obvious. "I haven't noticed."

Terra stood up. "I'll meet you later okay."

Aqua nodded. "Later." Afterwards, she watched as Terra walked away. It was nice to have someone she knew there. Since she found out they were going to the same school, at the same time, they spent time together here and there. It became a distraction. Still, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder where Vanitas was...

After some days passed, Aqua left her last class as usual. The thought crossed her mind to study for her exam outside, but she was tired from her studies and decided to go to her apartment. She became lost in thought as she walked back. Nearby, someone sat at a table as she moved pass. They leaned back in their chair as they let out a smirk. "Well…that was just rude… I thought you had better manners than that… _Aqua_."

Aqua left her thoughts and stopped once she heard her name called. When she thought about it, she was sure she heard a male voice. She expected to hear from Terra, but the voice sounded different. Curious, she turned around. "How do you know-?" All of a sudden, her eyes widened, stunned. There he was. The same familiar smirk and black, spiked hair, looking much better than when she last saw him.

He stood up as he smirked. "Oh…! I see... You forgot me already?" Disappointed, he shook his head. He turned halfway from her as he closed his eyes and sighed. "And to think I came all this way…"

Without thinking, she rushed over to him and hugged him tightly. Relief came to her face as she closed her eyes. Her hands grabbed onto the sleeves of his jacket. She took it all in, his familiar scent, the way it felt to lean against his chest, but mainly the fact that he was there after all this time. Aqua's head pressed harder against his chest. "Vanitas..." He was glad to hear her say his name again. "You're okay…" Slowly, he brought his arms in to embrace her back.

After a few moments of silence, they parted. She was still in shock that he was there and that he found her. Vanitas smiled slyly. "So…? You missed me?" Aqua touched the side of his face. She looked down and opened his shirt a little, which he looked stunned. "What are you doing?!"

On his chest, she noticed there was a little scar, but he was fully healed. Aqua was relieved as she pressed her hand against his chest. "You're all right…" she whispered.

Vanitas gave her a confused look. "Yeah. Why else would I be here?"

Aqua closed her eyes as she smiled a little. He had no idea how happy she was to see him. "It's just…I haven't heard anything about you since I left."

Vanitas looked toward the side, serious. "You probably wanna know what happened." Aqua looked at him for a little before they walked away and sat at a table. Vanitas sat in front of her. "So…? Where do you wanna start?"

Aqua opened her eyes and looked up at him. "What happened? You almost… died out there on the streets."

Vanitas placed his hand on his head as his eyes traveled toward the side. "I thought I was going to, but somehow, I woke up in the hospital."

"It was because I went looking for you that night. At first, I couldn't find you, but then I thought of the only place I didn't look… the warehouse. Then, I saw this cat so I followed it and…" Vanitas could hear the sadness in her voice. Aqua closed her eyes as she remembered that night. It was hard to see Vanitas hurt like that. "I saw you… You were lying there on the ground. You were bleeding to death and you weren't breathing and… The doctor said that, if it was any longer, then you would've died."

Vanitas looked serious. "It could've been dangerous going there by yourself."

She was surprised by his comment and a little upset. "If I didn't, you wouldn't have made it!"

He smirked. "I see… You're still as stubborn as ever."

Aqua sighed with her eyes closed. "Just let it go..."

His expression grew dark as his eyes lowered toward the table. "I was beaten up by some guys sent by Xehanort."

Once she heard Vanitas, her head lifted in surprise. "What?"

His eyes traveled to the side. "It was stupid… I shouldn't have fell for it. I got a call from your phone and the guy who worked for him, Xigbar, said they had you. I didn't think Xehanort got out of prison, but I couldn't think of anything else, especially if he had you, so I went. Turns out, it was just a trap for some guys who had a vendetta to ambush me." His hands tensed together against the table. "By now, they have to think I'm dead. No one came to finish me off."

Aqua stared at him, worried. "I'm sorry…"

Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "Why are you sorry?"

Sad, she looked down at her hands in her lap. "Because…if I was with you that night, then this never would've happened."

"How do you know it wouldn't?" he asked.

Her eyes lifted up, surprised by his question. "Huh?"

"Listen. If he didn't get me then, Xehanort would've tried some way to get me later. It would have made things worse if they came after both of us. Maybe…" As much as he didn't like what happened to him, he knew it could've been worse. "Maybe…it's better that it happened this way. Now, they think I'm dead, so they shouldn't come after me again."

Aqua stared at him, worried. "Are you sure?"

Vanitas shrugged. "Yeah. Pretty sure."

Aqua let out a sigh of relief as she gave a faint smile. "I'm glad."

Curious, Vanitas had something else on his mind. "When did you come to the hospital?"

"Well… I stayed with you all night when you first got there. The doctor let me sleep over in the same room as you. I came in the next day, and the next day after that, and… that's when my parents found out... Then, it was my mother's mission to keep me away from you. She signed me up to go to school early, but I told her I wouldn't go because I didn't want to leave you. She even threatened to disown me, but I didn't really care…" Vanitas was surprised to hear that she would've left her parents for him. Aqua lifted up her head, concerned. "…So she tricked me. I'm sure she thought it was better than both of them watching over me every day, making sure I didn't leave the house. Instead of them taking me to the hospital, they made me come here to school. I hadn't been able to check on you ever since. They made sure of that."

Vanitas closed his eyes as he smiled. He was relieved to hear the truth. She didn't want to leave him. "I see… That's why when I woke up, you weren't there."

Aqua looked curious. "But don't you remember? There was one time you did wake up and I was there, but the doctor said you were pretty out of it."

Vanitas looked toward the table as he tried to think back, but things were still pretty blurry part of the time. "Maybe…" he whispered.

"I wanted to check on you, but my mother had gotten to everyone first. When I called the hospital, they wouldn't tell me anything about you. She wouldn't let me leave here because she thought I would go looking for you. I couldn't call you-."

"Hey! You wanna hear something better than that?"

Vanitas grinned, which made Aqua curious. "What?"

Now when he thought about it, he almost wanted to laugh. Back then, it just made him angry. He leaned his elbow on the table as he placed his head on his hand. A smirk crossed his lips as he pointed and swirled his index finger toward her in an invisible circle. "Your mother offered me a ton of money to never see you again."

Aqua's eyes widened, stunned. "What?!"

Vanitas let out a silent chuckle. "Your mom really hates me that much. It's funny when you think about it."

Aqua still couldn't believe it. "When did this happen?"

"It happened in the hospital…"

 _Five months ago…_

 _Vanitas laid in his hospital bed, awake. His bruises had cleared up some, but he could still feel the pain from his broken bones when he moved. It drove him crazy that he couldn't do much with the bandages and casts on him. He leaned back on his pillow more. He wished that Aqua was there to help kill his boredom. He hadn't heard from her since the day he was attacked. As he lied there, he wondered if she was okay. Suddenly, he heard footsteps enter into the room. They got louder as they approached. From behind the curtain, he saw Aqua's parents come into his sight. He was surprised that if anyone came to visit, it would be them. Aqua's father stayed back as her mother pulled up a chair by his bed. The scowl on her face was clear for anyone to see. She placed her purse in her lap and opened her eyes toward him. "This has to end now. I want you to stay away from Aqua."_

 _He gave her a look of confusion. "Why?"_

 _Aqua's mother frowned more. "Why not?" She waved her hand around. "There are plenty of other girls out there. Pick one of them."_

 _Vanitas smirked toward her. "I'm not really used to being told no. So why does she have to be off limits?"_

 _She baled her fist against her purse. "Because she is our daughter! She's…"_

 _Vanitas frowned toward her, upset. "Too good for me as you put it. You made that clear."_

 _Aqua's mother shook her head as she breathed out. She didn't understand it. "I don't know why she's so obsessed with you! She's…"_

" _You ever think that she can make her own decision and that she might be right?"_

 _Aqua's mother grew angry. "Leave her now!"_

 _Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "And what if I do? Won't Aqua be mad at you for this?"_

 _Aqua's mother searched inside of her purse and pulled out a book. "Listen. Tell Aqua nothing about this. If you leave her…" Vanitas looked over curious to see what she was up to. Aqua's mother gave him a serious look. "I'll make it worth your while. Whatever you want."_

 _Vanitas looked at her with interest. He couldn't help but smirk. "Anything I want?"_

" _Whatever you want," Aqua's mother assured him. "Just name it."_

" _If you really mean that, then I want your daughter." He knew saying that would make her just as angry again. It amused him._

 _Aqua's mother sighed in frustration. "Then we can settle this in another way. Name your price." Vanitas was surprised that she was willing to sink that low._

 _Even her husband was surprised at her persistent. "Honey! You can't be serious-!"_

 _She looked back at her husband angry and determined. "I am very serious! We need to protect her!" Her husband pressed his lips together tightly. Then, she turned her attention back to Vanitas. "I see you need a little help in deciding. I'm sure medical expenses will be tough for your family to handle with both you and your brother." Vanitas's eyes traveled down. He knew she had a point. "How does this much sound?" Aqua's mother handed him her checkbook with a number already written down. Vanitas looked surprised. Even Xehanort hadn't given him that much in one lump sum. He was surprised that she was willing to pay so much. "I see. If that's not enough for you, then I'm sure we can raise the price. How about one hundred thousand?"_

 _He stared at her as he looked serious. He wasn't about to give in to her. "No."_

 _She was surprised at first, but then got upset again. "Fine! Don't like the price too much! My final offer is two hundred and fifty thousand! You could do whatever you want with it. You could take care of your family with it."_

 _Vanitas and Aqua's father were surprised by her offer especially since Aqua's father would have to pay for it. Vanitas gave her a serious look. "If I took that offer, then Aqua would never forgive me. My answer is still no."_

 _Aqua's mother became more frustrated. "Why are you making this hard?! What? You want more money from us?! Are you trying to take advantage of the situation?!"_

" _No. I don't want anything from you but to just accept that we're together."_

" _Just find some other girl! There are plenty of them out there and with money, they'll be there at your disposal," she tried to convince him._

" _But what about Aqua? You have to decide for her who she should be with."_

 _Aqua's mother stood up. "Listen. I will write a check and you will stay away from Aqua." She finished writing and placed the check on the dresser next to his bed. Vanitas looked away from her. Aqua's mother stood up and arched her eyebrow toward him. "I trust you will do what I asked or our deal is off." After she left, her husband followed behind her._

Aqua's eyes traveled down, stunned and angry over what she just heard. Her fists baled against the table. Vanitas watched her reaction. Then, she lifted her head. "Vanitas. I think you should've taken the money."

He was surprised by her response. It wasn't the answer he expected. He gave her a confused look. "Weren't you listening? She wanted to pay me to leave you."

"Exactly! If you took the money and made her believe you did, then we could use it together." She sighed and shook her head frustrated. "I can't believe she would have stooped so low," she muttered.

Vanitas crossed his arms. "I thought you would've been upset if I took the money."

Aqua slammed her fist against the table. "No! I wouldn't have! She had no right to-!"

Vanitas leaned back in his chair as he smirked. "Who said I didn't?"

Aqua blinked, surprised. "What?"

He shrugged as his eyes rolled up and to the side. "Well… she really didn't give me a chance to give it back… and it did come in handy..." Vanitas smirked as he looked at her. " And...I never really promised her anything either..."

Aqua closed her eyes as she shook her head. "I just… can't believe my mother did that."

Vanitas was amused as he thought. "I'm actually surprised at you. I wasn't sure about telling you about the money."

Aqua breathed out. "I'm still not happy about it…"

"Yeah. The woman can be a real _witch_ huh?" Aqua looked surprised. Vanitas shrugged. "What? You want me to call her the other word? Replace one of the letters?"

She sighed, just relieved that he was back. Then, she lifted her eyes to him, concerned. "Can I ask you one more thing?"

Curious, Vanitas stared at her. "Yeah?"

"While you were in the hospital...did Ven wake up...?" Apart of her was afraid that the answer would be no, but she had to know.

Vanitas sighed with his eyes closed. Then, he stared at her as he looked serious. "Yes."

Aqua pressed her hand to his chest as she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "That's good to hear... I'm glad." When she lifted her head, she noticed the expression on his face. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he replied. "You can try and contact him. Maybe he would actually talk to you now."

Aqua became curious and concerned. "But what about you?"

"He hates me more now than before."

Aqua shook her head. She was sure that wasn't the case. "He doesn't hate you."

"When I went to see him, that's when he woke up. I told him about what happened and why he was attacked. After that, he wanted nothing else to do with me."

Aqua's eyes lowered, sad. "I'm sorry..." She didn't want their relationship to end because of what happened. She shook her head. "But it wasn't your fault."

"It was because they went after me. They wanted to make their message clear." Vanitas still noticed the saddened look on her face. "I thought you would be happy to hear about him being awake."

Her fingers curved more tense in her lap. "I am, but..." she whispered. "...The two of you are brothers, you grew up together...you-."

He didn't want her to dwell on it much longer. "It's fine. Just be glad that he made it out alive."

Aqua noticed the deadpanned tone of his voice and emotionless look on his face. It concerned her that he didn't care, but she couldn't help but think that deep down, it did affect him that his brother wanted nothing to do with him. She wanted to know how he truly felt and be there for him. "Vanitas-?"

Vanitas tilted his head back and breathed out as he rubbed his face with his hands. "You really know how to bring down the mood. Just be grateful that we're both still here, all right?"

"All right." In response, Aqua nodded. For now, she would leave it alone. In the meantime, she would focus on the good. They were back together again.

Then, Vanitas smiled slyly, interested. "So? How much did you miss me?"

Gently, she smiled at him, happy. "More than you know."

Vanitas glanced at the sky and noticed that it was going to get dark soon. He stood up. "I better go."

Aqua looked up at him, anxious. She didn't want him to go yet. "Wait! Where are you off to?"

Vanitas turned his head back toward her. "I'm going back to my apartment."

The news surprised her that he was nearby. "You got an apartment?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

Aqua stood up and smiled. "Mind if I come with you to see it?"

Vanitas rubbed the back of his head, a little uneasy. "Sure. If you want." Aqua picked up her stuff and walked along with him. Vanitas looked over at Aqua beside him. "It took forever to find you. If it wasn't for those three girls and even the red head, I wouldn't have found you."

Aqua looked at him curious with her fingers to her chin. "Three girls and a red head…" she muttered to herself.

"Those three girls you always hung around with in high school and Sora's girl. Whatever their names are."

"Oh! You mean Yuna, Rikku, Paine, and Kairi." She smiled and made a mental note to thank them later for this. Then, another thought came to mind. "How come you have an apartment here?"

"It's a ways off, but I'm going to school now. Not yours, but one nearby," he answered.

"That's convenient." Since he was nearby, it made her hopeful that they spend more time together. After some time, they arrived outside of his apartment building. All of a sudden, they heard a meow. Aqua and Vanitas's eyes traveled down. A stray cat rubbed against Vanitas's leg. He kneeled down and stared at the cat. "Yeah yeah... I know." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a bag. He dropped some food on the ground.

Aqua looked curious. "A friend of yours?"

The cat rubbed his head against Vanitas's hand before he turned his attention to his food. "Yeah. This little guy wouldn't leave me alone. It started out here and then he started sneaking into my apartment through my window. Guess that's what happens when you feed them. I don't know why they come to me…"

Aqua smiled in awe. It was a sweet moment. Afterwards, they went inside. Vanitas rubbed the back of his head as Aqua looked inside curious. It was a small apartment that seemed worn down and old. As Aqua looked around, she began to worry. Her last stop was toward the window. She looked down at the neighborhood. "This…doesn't seem like a friendly place."

Vanitas stepped in behind her. "Well. It was the best I could do with the job I have and having to pay for everything. I didn't want to live in one of those dorm rooms. Still... might be better than this." She turned around to him, concerned. He could tell by the look on her face what she was thinking. "Don't worry. It's a legal job."

Aqua looked concerned. "Are you sure you want to stay here?"

"What else can I do?" Aqua sighed as she thought that he needed a better place than this. "So where are you staying?"

Aqua snapped out her thoughts to answer his question. "My parents got me an apartment near campus."

He smirked. "Figured as much. Rich girl."

Aqua pouted toward him, but then an idea came to mind. "Hey! You wanna come see it?"

Vanitas nodded. "Sure." He planned on walking her back regardless. He followed her back through campus and made it to her one bedroom apartment. When he stepped inside, he was impressed. It was very nice, spacious, and clean. There was a kitchen behind the living room and her bedroom on the left next to a closet. He walked around and searched through all of her apartment. He met her back at the front door where she waited. "Wow! They really fixed you up with something nice."

Aqua nodded. "Yeah."

He smirked a little toward her. "So…? Do I get to see you again?" he joked.

At first, his question caught her by surprise. Of course, she wanted to see him again, more than anything. She reached over and grabbed onto his hand with both of hers. A sincere look came to her eyes as she lifted them up to him. "What are you talking about? Of course."

Vanitas walked in closer to her, which she stepped back. Her back hit the door. Vanitas leaned his arm against the wall as he cornered Aqua. "What I want to know is what you would do when you saw me again?"

Aqua's body grew more anxious. "What do you mean?"

Vanitas gave a half smirk, half smile. "I just wanna see where we stand now."

Aqua stared into his eyes. He had to know that she still wanted to be with him after everything they've been through. Vanitas backed away to give her space and to see what she would do next. "So? You want to know what I would do if I saw you again? If I still want to be with you?" Vanitas remained silent as he looked serious. "Then let's start over."

Vanitas smirked. "All right…" He decided to play along. "It's been a while since-." Aqua walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him into a deep, open mouth kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in closer. The kiss between them turned fierce. All of their want and need pulled into one embrace. She walked forward as he walked back. He felt his back hit the couch. She leaned in closer to him. He could feel her body rub against his. It made both of them more anxious. Her hand slid behind his neck while the other slipped into his shirt. Even after lying in a hospital bed for a few months, his chest and stomach still felt hard and well-toned. A smirk crossed his lips as they embraced. He didn't think she would be this happy to see him again…

After some time, the two laid next to each other, curled against the couch. Aqua brushed her hand against Vanitas's cheek as his eyes were closed. "Vanitas?"

"Hm?" He opened his eyes and glanced toward her window. He let out a sigh. "It's already dark out." He sat up and scratched the back of his head with his eyes closed. "I guess I better get going."

Aqua glanced toward the window. She felt the time between them was too short, plus she was worried about him walking alone. She knew that he was capable of taking care of himself, but she still couldn't help but feel worried. Then, a thought came to mind. She turned her head back to him. "You could…stay here tonight if you want."

Vanitas tilted his head a little. "Really?"

Aqua nodded as she let out a smile. "For once, we'll get to stay together without worrying about our parents coming in."

It was funny to Vanitas that they got what they wanted. "You're right."

Aqua grinned. They could spend more time together. She stood up from the couch and placed her hands behind her back. It was hard to contain her excitement. "I'll get everything ready and if you're not busy, we could spend tomorrow together too." Vanitas smirked and stood up from the couch. He followed behind her.

Later that night, Aqua lied on her side. Suddenly, she closed her eyes tight as she felt something moving beside her. When she glanced back, she noticed Vanitas with his eyes closed tight as his body shook. She turned toward him and placed her hand against his forehead. Afterwards, his body calmed down as his breathing started to slow down. She looked down at him concerned. She wondered what he was dreaming about...

The next day, Aqua stepped toward the door as Vanitas grabbed onto the doorknob. She glanced down before she looked at him. "Vanitas…?" He looked back at her curious. She looked concerned. "Were you okay… sleeping last night?"

A confused look appeared on his face. "Yeah? Why?"

Aqua thought about telling him what she saw, but then she shook her head and smiled toward him. "Never mind! It's nothing." Vanitas stared at her for a few more seconds until he decided to let it go. "Will I see you again?" she asked, jokingly.

Vanitas smirked a little. "I guess you can."

A few nights later, she felt him stir beside her again. She woke up and looked behind her. "Huh?" A concerned look came on her face. Beside her, Vanitas had his eyes closed tight as his head tossed and turned frantically. His body was drenched in sweat. It seemed as if he was trapped in a bad nightmare. She placed her hand against his arm and shook him. "Vanitas?" He didn't wake up. She called for him again, concerned. All of a sudden, his hand darted toward her neck. On edge, she reacted quickly by placing her arm in front of her. His hand grabbed onto her arm and squeezed tightly, which made her wince in pain. She struggled to pull his hand away. "Vanitas! Stop it! You have to wake up! Vanitas!" His body jolted awake as his eyes shot open. Quickly, he flipped her back onto the bed. For a moment, she closed her eyes tight before she looked up at him, afraid. "Vanitas! Snap out of it!" Vanitas tuned back into reality. Below him, he saw the worried look on her face. His eyes widened. He realized that he was still squeezing Aqua's arm. He could see the painful look on her face. Suddenly, his hand pressed against his chest as he closed his eyes tight. He pressed down on his teeth as he groaned in pain. Slowly, he moved beside her. A worried look came on her face. "What's wrong?!" He didn't answer. Instead, his breaths remained heavy. Hurriedly, she reached for her phone. "Hold on. I'll-." Then, she felt him grab onto her hand that held her phone. She turned her head back to him. Against her better judgement, she listened to his silent request. Her arms wrapped around him. Eventually, he relaxed against her as he fell into darkness.

Later, he felt something soft against him. Slowly, he opened his eyes through the darkness. The room was lit with sunlight. Inside, he was surprised. How many hours had passed since he was last awake? "Are you all right?" When his eyes traveled over, he saw Aqua who sat beside him with a book in her hand. There was a concerned look on her face. He sat back on the bed and ran his fingers through his bangs as he placed his head down. He buried his face within his hands. She placed her book on the side of her. "What happened? Last night, it looked like you were having a really bad nightmare. Then, you passed out after you looked like you were in a lot of pain. I wanted to take you to a hospital, but you wouldn't let me. What if last night could've been worse?"

Vanitas stared down serious. "I'm fine."

"No you're not! This isn't the first time. The other night you were the same way." Aqua looked confused, but concerned. "What were you dreaming about?"

His eyes didn't lift to meet hers. He hoped that she would drop the subject. "Nothing."

Aqua breathed out. "I know something's wrong, otherwise, you wouldn't have attacked me in your sleep." She pressed her fist to her chest. "It's not good to keep it inside."

Vanitas looked at her curious. He noticed the tired look on her face and that she was still awake when he woke up. "Have you slept at all?"

Aqua closed her eyes as she placed her hand over her left eye and sighed. She could feel her tiredness start to get to her. "No... Don't worry. I'm used to it by now with all the nights I had to stay up to study."

He glanced over at her before he noticed the time on the clock. "Aren't you missing a class or something? I thought you couldn't."

Aqua looked concerned. "Don't worry. I'm sure that I can get a make-up test. Besides, I had to make sure you were all right so I stayed. I'll stay as long as you need to me. You're more important." Vanitas looked over at her surprised. "So please…? Tell me what you were dreaming about?"

Vanitas's eyes traveled along the bed. Since she stayed for him, he felt a little more open to tell her. "It started in the hospital." Aqua looked at him curious. Vanitas thought back to when the nightmares first started. "In my dream, he came back for me…to finish me off." Every time he would have the dream, it brought him back to the moment when he was shot. He could still see everything that happened to him clearly in his mind. "It's been haunting me ever since. Now the dreams would come back every once in a while, but now, I'm not sure why they're coming back again."

Aqua looked concerned. "Is it the same man…that shot you?"

Vanitas nodded. "Yeah." His eyes lowered. "I told you before. I'm sure if those guys knew I was still alive, they would make sure that I was dead."

Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his. Vanitas glanced down at the hand before he saw the determined look on Aqua's face. "I won't let them hurt you again. If anyone comes, we'll be ready."

Vanitas's eyes widened. The words she spoke caused memories of the past to come to mind. Even back then, she stood by him and tried to keep him safe. Even when he was close to death, she stood by him. It finally dawned on him. No matter what, she meant what she said. She cared about him and would stay by his side. An amused smirk appeared on his lips. "Fine…" he said to himself.

Aqua blinked surprised. "Huh?"

Vanitas grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. He smirked at her. "You're a stubborn woman."

Aqua pouted toward him. "You're one to talk…"

His hand ran along her sides as he looked up at her. "You would really do that for me?"

"To make sure you're safe, yes." She placed her hand against his chest. "Are you sure you're all right? You really did look like you were in a lot of pain."

He took her hand off of his chest. His arms wrapped around her waist. "You've been waiting this whole time." His eyes traveled to the side as he thought back. "I almost didn't come back." Aqua stared at him worried. "I thought by now you would've moved on, but I had to see for myself if I was right." He leaned his forehead against her chest. "For a second, I had died and I saw a light. I almost went toward it. I thought it would've been better if I had died…" He lifted his head to her. "…I wondered if anyone would've cared if I had. I wondered if you would have."

Aqua pressed her hand against her chest. "Of course I would!"

He smirked a little at her. "I'm still here, ain't I? I didn't go through all of that pain for nothing."

Her hands brushed against the sides of his face. There was a look of relief on her face. "I'm glad you're still here." He stared at her for a second, before he reached down and grabbed the edges of her shirt. He began to pull it up from her stomach. Surprised, she looked at him. "What are you doing?"

"Thanking you." He leaned in and pressed his lips against the skin of her neck. Inside, she was surprised at him. The tips of her fingers grazed against her jawline. He leaned in toward her ear. "Since you missed something for me, let me make this worth your time." Her eyes lowered to a close as she sighed. She tilted her head to the side toward his lips. Lightly, he grasped at her earlobe. His other hand slid against her lower back toward her hips and pressed her body closer to his.

The two met face to face again. She tilted her head down toward him as he looked up. Her eyebrows furrowed a little. "Are you just saying that to get me right where you want me…?"

Vanitas smirked, slightly devious. "That might be part of it too. You wanted me to tell you what was going on and I get punished for it anyway." He let out a sigh and buried his face in her chest. "I just can't win with you…"

His words stunned her. "Now wait a minute! I usually can't win with you. You do whatever you want to anyway!" Underneath her, she heard him snicker. She let out a frown. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No…never." He continued to snicker.

Aqua pouted. "I don't believe you for a one second…"

After Vanitas relaxed, he snuggled his face more in her bosom where it felt warm and soft. As he thought about the two of them, there was no more doubt in his mind. A faint smirk curved at his lips. "I guess that's it then," he said lowly.

Confused, she leaned back from him. "What did you say?"

Vanitas straighten out the strands of her blue hair a little over her shoulder. He noticed her hair had gotten longer since he last saw her. Then, his hand pressed on the back of her neck along with her hair. "Nothing." He pulled her into a kiss. Her eyes lowered to a close along with his.

XXX

Both of them breathed out. His tongue brushed against her bottom lip. She relaxed as her hand rubbed his shoulders. His fingers ran up along the strands of her soft, blue hair. He pulled her head back, exposing her neck. As she turned her head, his lips traveled along her jawline and placed a trail of kisses along her neck. The sensation spread throughout her body. His hands slid further along her back side and slipped underneath her shirt. For a moment, they parted as he lifted her shirt over her head before their lips connected once more. She could feel warmth radiating from the skin of his chest and warming her own. Underneath his rough hand, he could feel the soft skin of her arm. He traveled along her arm and grazed the edge of her chest. He placed a kiss on top of her left breast. "It really has been a while…" His tongue glided across her skin which made heat rush to her cheeks. He pushed her body up with his hips. His fingers caressed her left breast as his tongue grazed the right. A slight smirk at his lips. "Just as sweet as I remember."

A sigh left her lips as her eyes lowered to a close. More, her body ached for him to continue. He removed her shorts and his. He leaned back as she leaned forward. She gave him a surprised look. "What are you doing?"

A devious smirk curved at his lips as he placed his hands behind his head. "Do whatever you want."

A blush went across her cheeks. "What?"

"You have me right where you want me." Vanitas sat up on his elbows. His lips met with hers. "Now, what are you going to do about it?" Aqua was a little surprised. This was a different approach for him. He gave her free range to do what she wanted when usually he wanted to be the dominate one. He leaned and kissed her once more. His hand traveled along her back and grabbed her hips. A smirk curved at his lips. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it?" No words came to her. Her mind became clouded. More than anything, she wanted to give into him. Her lips met with his in a kiss. Anxious, she adjusted herself on top of him and pressed him inside her. As she closed her, she breathed out. It felt like a long time since they connected like this. She slid back and forth against him. He grabbed onto her hips and thrusted faster into her. A moan escaped from her. Her body felt on a new high. The expression she made caused a faint smirk to appear on his lips. The way she would bite her bottom lip, how she seemed in a world of her own. Pleasure overwhelmed her until it poured out of her. As she breathed heavily, her body slowed to a stop. Tired, she leaned against his chest as she closed her eyes. There was no strength left in her arms to support herself.

A smirk came on his face as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "It hasn't been that long and you're already getting soft on me? The fun just started." He turned them over to where he was over her. Vanitas moved in and tilted her head aside to kiss her neck. "I wasn't finished yet," he whispered seductively. His hands caressed over her body from her chest to her legs. Slowly, his fingers teased between her thighs. She closed her eyes as she breathed out. She could feel the same pleasure build up in her again. He bent her legs at his waist and pressed himself inside of her. Breath escaped his lips as he could feel her insides tighten. She could feel her body overwhelmed with pleasure again. After a few more thrusts, he released. As things slowed thing, they both relaxed. Her eyes lowered to a close. Within seconds, she fell asleep.

* * *

Later, Aqua opened her eyes to see that she was surrounded by darkness. When she looked toward the door, she saw light shine in from the crack of her bedroom door. She sat up on her hands. The only thing that covered her body was her blanket. Beside her, the bed was empty. The only one there was her. After she put back on her shirt and shorts, she stepped outside. When she walked into the kitchen, she looked surprised. Vanitas stood near the counter as there was food steaming nearby. He looked out of the corner of his eyes as he noticed someone else walk into the room. "About time. I thought you were going to be asleep for days."

Aqua looked around curious. "What's this?"

"I couldn't wait for you to wake up and make me dinner so I did." She frowned, which he arched his eyebrow. "What? Did you want me to wake you up sooner?"

She poked her finger into his chest. "Who said that I was making you dinner?"

Vanitas let out a proud smirk and placed his hands on the sides of her hips. "I think I deserve it after I helped you get to sleep."

She did feel well rested, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he was right. She turned away from him. "I'll be back. I'm going to take a shower."

He smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Mind if I join you?"

She gave him a dull stare. It was clear to see what he was up to. "I think I better go in myself."

"Oh come on… I'll be on my best behavior."

She crossed her arms. "I don't believe that for a second… It's just so you can get your way again."

He pressed her body closer to her. "So what? I know you'll enjoy it."

She frowned. "No thanks."

Vanitas gave a seductive smirk. "Oh come on…You know we could have fun." He could still see that she wasn't going to give into him. He twirled her blue hair around his finger and leaned in close. "I love those little sounds and faces you make. You don't want to make more for me?" Aqua blinked surprised as she turned to him, which he noticed. "What?"

The surprise never left from her face. "You finally said it. Not the whole thing, but-."

Confusion became written on his face. "What are you talking about?"

"You said love."

He was a little surprised himself. The words just slipped out without thinking. Then, he shrugged. "So?"

Aqua looked surprised. He brushed off as if it was nothing. "So? You can't just-."

Vanitas let out a faint smirk. "Calm down. You got me. I'm all yours."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she searched his expression. "I don't understand."

He let out a half smile. "I didn't think you were going to stick around this long, so I just waited for you to finally give up, but you didn't."

She looked serious as she frowned. "I told you I wouldn't. When will you actually believe when I say-?"

"I love you."

Aqua blinked, surprised. "Huh?" She wasn't sure if he said it to finish her sentence or if he told her how he truly felt.

"You heard what I said." His words left her speechless. "That's what you've been waiting to hear, right?"

She shook her head and looked a little upset. "I don't want you to force it."

"I'm not. I tell you and that's all I get?"

Aqua let out a soft grin. She was glad to finally hear him say the words. She placed a kiss against his lips and placed her hands together behind her. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Hmm…" Her kiss gave him an idea. A gentle smirk came on his lips.

She gave him a surprised look. "What?"

He leaned in and kissed her lips. "I love you." Instantly, a smile appeared on her face. He could see how much it made her happy. "I love you." He repeated his sweet words and kissed her lips again, this time for much long.

Her eyes searched his as the feeling of affection grew in her chest. "I love you."

He moved in closer to her which made her step back. Her finger grabbed onto the edge of the counter and she leaned against it. He left no distance between them. Beside them, his hand reached over and turned off the stove. There was a calm, serious look on his face. He leaned forward and pressed her lips against hers. Their eyes lowered to a close. He pressed his body close to her, which caused a sigh to leave his lips. His hand caressed along her back as she placed her hands at his waist.

Minutes later, heavy breaths left from Vanitas. On the bed, he sat back on his knees as his hands let go of her hips. His chest rose up and down as sweat rolled down his body. Tired, he flipped over onto his back beside her as she lied on her front. He could hear her breaths softly beside him. She leaned her head against her arms that were crossed in front of her as she looked over at him. He placed his hand behind his head as the other rested on his stomach and he bent his leg up. What he experienced with her was passionate and intense. "I don't think... I can get up."

Aqua gave a faint smirk and grabbed his hand. "Well… it wouldn't have happened if you would have let me shower in the first place." He smirked back at her. She pulled him along as she got up. "Come on." Listening, he got up.

* * *

Aqua closed her eyes as her hand slid against the back of her neck. She let the warm water hit her skin. Vanitas stepped into the shower. As he watched the calm look on her face, the same thought crossed him again. His eyes lowered toward the floor. After making up his mind, he stepped in behind her and wrapped his arms around her, which surprised her a little. "Hm?" His head leaned against her shoulder. She looked back only to see his dark hair. She gave him a teasing smile. "I can't really shower if you don't let my arms go."

His eyes traveled toward the side. "My heart was damaged."

Stunned to hear the news, she turned to him. "What?" she whispered.

As he looked down, he pressed his hand against his chest. "They managed to fix it. Sometimes I do have trouble breathing. The doctors checked, but they didn't think it had anything to do with that. Usually that happens when those dreams come back."

Aqua looked concerned. "Maybe it's because of the memory of that night. You had a near death experience." She shook her head a little. "That's not something you can just get over."

Vanitas sighed. "That's what they said…"

She pressed her hand against his chest. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

Vanitas rolled his eyes to the side. "Because I didn't want you to make a big deal out of it." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face a little closer. "Ow! Watch it!"

Aqua let out a pout. "I am going to make a big deal out of it because I want you to be okay. I care about what happens to you." Her eyes gazed into his. "I love you." She let out a smile toward him.

It made him more at ease. "I love you."

It made her happy to hear him say it again. She turned around from him and he began to wash her back. She let out a smile. "You're not going to get me again."

He gave a faint smirk. "I could if I wanted to…" He breathed out with his eyes closed. "…but I think you've had enough for now."

She looked back at him as she arched her eyebrow. "Really? For my sake?" She turned around and pressed her body closer to his. "I might have one more left in me…" Seeing that he didn't jump at the chance, she poked him in the chest as she gave a sly smirk. "You wore yourself out. Didn't you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Like you didn't."

She grinned. "I say let's just spend a quiet night together."

His hand slipped through her hair to the back of her neck. "If that's what you want, it's fine with me." She mirrored his smirk.

Later that night, the two sat in the kitchen and ate before they lied on the couch together with the television in the background. "I'm glad you know..." He sat up on his elbow behind her with his arm wrapped around her waist. She turned her head to him. "That you told me everything. That you told me how you felt." Her hand caressed his face. "I want you to be open with me."

He smirked, amused. "I really have gone soft…" His face softened toward her. "But you got me. I'm all yours."

She smiled. "And I'm all yours."

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	43. The Other Side: I know! Let's Move In

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _The Other Side of the Fence Meets Sibling Rivalry: (Aqua, Vanitas, and Kairi side of the story)_

 _Chapter 42: I Know! Let's Move In:_

It became a routine on Tuesday morning just like every other morning he had to get up. The alarm went off on his side of the bed to wake him out of his deep sleep. Blindly, Vanitas reached over toward the dresser and hit his alarm to turn it off. He let out a groan. Right now, he despised getting up before eight in the morning. His body refused to sit up. Beside him, he could feel another warm body. She didn't even stir beside him. Vanitas had gotten used to staying over at Aqua's since it was a much better apartment than his own and he could spend time with her whenever both of them were free. Staying overnight had forced him to wake up earlier just to get to class on time since Aqua's apartment was several minutes further than his school. Still, it was worth being with Aqua even if it meant he got less sleep. It was worth going to school if it meant they could be together without everyone else putting doubts in their relationship.

Vanitas forced his body to rise from the bed and slowly headed for the bathroom attached to her room. He closed the door behind him, showered, and got dressed. After thirty minutes passed, he walked out and stepped in front of his sleeping beauty that was still in bed. He smiled as he looked at her face and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Hey. Wake up," he whispered in her ear. Aqua closed her eyes tight as she groaned. "Come lock your door." Slowly, Aqua opened her eyes. She didn't want to get up since she didn't need to get up for an hour herself. It was all a part of her daily routine now as well. Vanitas didn't like the idea of the door unlocked while she slept. It made him worry that something would happen while he was gone. Aqua got up and walked with Vanitas to the door. He turned around to Aqua. He gave one last smile toward her sleeping face and messy blue hair. Gently, he pressed his lips against her. It was one way he liked to start the morning. "See you later."

Aqua leaned against the doorway too tired to smile. "Yeah… See ya." She covered her mouth as she yawned with her eyes closed. After she locked the door, she headed back to her bed where she tried to savor what little sleep she could get before she had to go to class herself.

As the day went on, Vanitas had to wait until Aqua was done for the day before he could get back into her apartment. He waited outside for a few minutes before he spotted Aqua pace rapidly down the hall in a rush. She carried a lot of books with her, which Vanitas looked surprised. "I know! Sorry I'm late!" Aqua was about to drop the books from her hand, but Vanitas reacted quickly and got them. Aqua grinned nervously and unlocked the door to her apartment. They headed inside. Vanitas sat her books over on the floor in front of couch and lied down. He turned over on his side to make room for Aqua to lay down with him. Vanitas wrapped his arm around her as he closed his eyes. Aqua closed her eyes as well as she sighed. It had been a long day. "Sorry I was late again..."

Vanitas gave an annoyed look as his eyebrows furrowed. "Will you stop saying that? You don't have to rush."

Aqua turned her head toward Vanitas as she smiled a little. "But I can't just leave you standing out in the hall. People might start getting suspicious."

Vanitas sighed as he scratched the back of his head. He closed his eyes and leaned on Aqua. He started to fall asleep same as Aqua. Aqua leaned her head on her arm with her eyes closed as she sighed. "Tired?" Vanitas asked.

Aqua relaxed against him. "Yeah... I couldn't get back to sleep this morning."

It seemed they both felt the same way. "It's the same way with me when you have to kick me out in the morning sometimes."

"Hmm…" Aqua felt bad whenever she had to do so, but she was the only one who had a key to lock the door. "I'm not really sure what to do…" Vanitas opened one eye. The same idea popped into his head when he thought about what could make things easier for both of them. Aqua started to get up regardless of how exhausted her body felt. "Have you eaten yet? I felt like I haven't all day."

Vanitas grabbed her arm. She was surprised by the serious look on his face. Aqua laid back down with her back to him. Vanitas leaned his head into her shoulders. His mind kept contemplating about his idea, but he didn't know if Aqua would go for it. He finally decided to put it out there. "I've been thinking…" His eyes traveled over to her. "Maybe there's a way I don't have to wait for you to get here."

Aqua became curious as she turned over on her back. Vanitas stood up on his arms as he hovered above her. He stared down at her as he kept his serious composure. Aqua laughed a little. "What? Are you going to start breaking in here now?" Aqua could see that he didn't laugh with her. It almost scared her to know what he thought.

His lips wanted to go into a smirk at her joke, but he had to get this off his chest. Deeply, he stared into her ocean blue eyes. "Move in with me." The feeling of shock coursed through her body as her eyes widened. She knew they were serious, but she didn't know if he was ready to take another step. Vanitas moved back toward her side. She turned on her side to face him. She was still speechless over his offer. Impatience started to get the best of Vanitas. "Well say something!"

Nervousness overtook her. She gave Vanitas an innocent look. "Sorry…it's just…I didn't think you wanted to do that."

Vanitas arched his eyebrow. "And why not?"

Aqua gave a light shrug as she looked toward the side. "I don't know. We just never talked about it before."

Vanitas frowned. "Well we're talking about it now."

Aqua chuckled. "More like you asking me now and me giving you an answer."

He gave a smirk. He wanted to get straight to the point. "So? What do you say?"

Aqua looked toward the side. "Well…there's a problem with that. My parents might get a little suspicious as to why I want to move."

Vanitas scratched the back of his head. "You don't want to move to my place anyway. It's not as nice as this."

Aqua began to zone out as she thought about what would be best for them to do. Then, she lifted her eyes to Vanitas as she gave him a sincere look. "Then… move here with me."

Vanitas was taken aback by her answer. It was an option that he didn't think she would consider. "Really?"

A small smile came upon her lips. "Yeah. I'm sure. That is… if you don't mind the extra walk to school."

Her comment brought a smirk to his face. "What do you think I've been doing this whole time?" He sat up. "Don't worry. I won't live off your parents for free."

Aqua was a little surprised that he was being noble. "After how my parents treated you?"

He leaned his head against his arm. As much as he didn't want to pay for the apartment, he thought he could help Aqua and himself out. "Look at it this way. We can use the extra money I make for something else. Something now or in the future." A light tint of pink came to her cheeks when he heard him say "future". It let her know that he did think about them as far as that. She found herself thinking about their future as well. "It'll work out as long as we don't let your parents know I live here."

It sounded simple enough to Aqua, but who knew how things would go between them. Still, she was willing to make things work. "All right. If they decide to come over, then we'll be ready." Aqua sat up and placed her hands on her knees. She grinned toward Vanitas. "So? Will you move in with me?"

It was a corny line, but it was true. Technically, he was moving in with her. Playfully, he sighed "Fine…" Aqua's body scooted closer to his. Her head leaned against Vanitas's shoulder. Inside, Vanitas was relieved. It worked out better than he thought it would. "So? What are you making for dinner?"

Instantly, Aqua leaned up. She wasn't happy that he expected her to cook. Her arms crossed against her chest as she leaned back against the couch. "What are you making me?" Vanitas kept his smug smirk on. It just made Aqua more upset. "For someone who wants to move in here, he's sure asking to sleep on the couch." Aqua stood up and headed for the kitchen.

Vanitas stood up. She took the joke more personal than he wanted. He walked over with a seductive grin on his face. His arms wrapped around her waist to keep her from leaving or staying mad at him. His head leaned against her shoulder. "I was just kidding." He snuggled further toward her neck and sucked the skin of her neck gently. She could feel a tingling sensation passing through her body that had made her weak against his touch. He blew a cool breeze, from his lips, onto the wet skin he left behind. That made her shiver in a way that made her want him more. There was no use staying mad at him. He unhanded her and turned her around to him. She felt his hands rest on her shoulders. "I'll call somewhere we can order out. You do whatever you were going to do with all those books you got." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and walked back into the living room. "What are you in the mood for? I'll buy." Aqua was surprised. She sat down on the couch again. They took a few minutes to discuss it before Vanitas called in.

Aqua reached down and grabbed a book off of her pile on the floor. She placed it in her lap and opened it. Even when she tried to study, she couldn't help but be distracted by Vanitas's previous action on her. Her body felt stirred. Her eyes shifted back and forth from her book to Vanitas who had his back semi turned from her as he was still communicating with the guy on the phone. The feeling inside of her became too much. Aqua kept her eyes on her target, ready for when he would turn to her. A few minutes later, Vanitas hung up the phone and then turned to Aqua who had an alluring curve to her pink lips and her sapphire eyes. Her head leaned lightly on her hand. Vanitas was a little surprised, but once he read on her face, he couldn't help but give in to her. He walked over and leaned toward her. She adjusted herself so that she could become align with him. Her book shifted and rested on her stomach. Vanitas gave a sly grin as he stared down at the woman he desired more than anyone. "I take it you're not mad at me anymore?" She searched his golden eyes before leaned up and connected her lips to his. Vanitas grabbed the book that he felt between them and tossed it aside on the ground. He smiled. He knew Aqua was going to yell at him for it later. In her mind, she wanted to. Apart of her was upset, but it quickly went away as her body could only focus on him.

A few minutes later, they parted and opened their eyes to each other. Her hands slid against his abs up to his well-toned chest underneath his shirt. He couldn't help but smirk slyly. Even if he tried to get up, she had him trapped between her legs. "You think we have time for that?"

She planted another kiss on his lips again. "We can make time."

More and more, he got interested. How could he not give in to her demands? "Before the food gets here?"

She gave a smirk of her own and with that came a choice. Her index finger lightly jumped up on his chest toward his chin. "Either that or there won't be time later with everything I have to study."

The offer was too tempting to pass up. Vanitas leaned and pressed his lips against her. One more thought crossed his mind. He placed his hand on her shoulder to separate her for a moment. "I gotta better idea. How about I get the food when it comes and however I leave you…?" His finger snuck inside of her shirt and twisted the fabric on the edge. "clothed or not... you'll have to eat that way."

The deal sounded easy enough and predictable as to where it was going to lead. "All right, but I'm not studying that way." Vanitas could feel his anticipation toward her build inside of him. If he wanted her just how he planned, he would have to time it out carefully. He leaned in and kissed her.

About thirty minutes later, he walked down to get the food. He didn't mind then as he had a big smirk on his face. He headed up to the apartment and closed the door behind him. He headed toward his waiting beauty. She mirrored his smirk. He sat down beside her feet as she laid down on the couch. He placed the food on the wooden table in front of them before he turned to something he wanted to see more than food. Aqua's hands rested on her bare stomach as her knees were upwards to make room for Vanitas to sit. He stared at her body and watched her smile. "I see you weren't going to back down on our deal."

She turned on her side and laid on her pillow. "I thought about putting something on since someone won't be able to take his eyes off or keep his hands off me." Aqua had a point. He wanted to unite their bodies in a sweaty, passionate connection again, but needed time to recover before he tried again. "But I kept to our deal. So? Can we eat now?"

Vanitas leaned down and tossed her clothes to her from the floor. It really was too tempting to watch her. "Deal's off. Do what you want."

Aqua was surprised at first, but then gave a devious grin and sat up beside Vanitas. She leaned against him and placed her arm around his shoulders. "Awe! Can't handle it?"

Slowly, she made him leaned back. Her teasing started to get the best of him. She slid onto his lap as she kept her smile on. He chuckled back. His hands grabbed the sides of her legs. "As much as I want to, the food is gonna end up cold and we wouldn't want that to happen. I'll just have to try later, won't I?" Aqua stood up and grabbed her clothes from the floor. She headed into her room and closed the door behind her. A few minutes later, she emerged wearing t-shirt and shorts. She sat down beside him and ate.

* * *

Through the week, Vanitas packed and moved his stuff into Aqua's apartment. By the weekend, he got all his stuff moved in and mostly unpacked. In the living room, he picked up the last box and placed it on the couch. Aqua walked up beside him and smiled. "Well... You seemed to handle all of that fast."

Vanitas gave her a smirk and sat down on the couch beside the box. "Sure you can handle me as a roommate?"

Aqua reached inside of her pants pocket and tossed something toward Vanitas. Vanitas reacted quickly and caught it in his hand. When he opened his hand, he saw a key. Aqua smiled toward him. "You moved in here long before you came up with this idea. Now it's official." She was about to walk away when she suddenly felt a hand grab her wrist. Curious, she looked back. Vanitas pulled her toward him and sat her down in his lap. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. They both got what they wanted. They could be together and alone without anyone to stop them.

* * *

A week passed since Vanitas moved in. After his day was over, he returned back to the apartment he shared with Aqua. When he walked into the bedroom, he looked surprised. Aqua lied in bed with her eyes closed. She looked the same way as he left her this morning. "Aqua?" He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. Lightly, he shook her. She closed her eyes as she let out a groan. A serious look came on his face. "Have you been here all day?"

"No…" It took Aqua some time, but she managed to sit up as she pressed her hand to her head, exhausted. "I left and I managed to get through today, but…I just don't feel well."

He noticed the strained, pale look on her face. "You don't look it either."

Aqua's eyes lowered to a close. "I'm okay. I'm just a little tired." She fell back a little and supported herself on her elbow.

Vanitas looked upset and helped her lay back down. "If you were sick, you shouldn't have pushed yourself!" After he got her settled, he rubbed her arm to comfort her. "What do you need?"

* * *

A few days had passed. Aqua stayed in her room most of the time and Vanitas took care of her whenever he could. They still weren't sure what was causing it. As Aqua lied in her room, she heard her phone ring. Once she saw who it was, she answered. "Hey!"

Aqua looked down at her phone as she smiled tired. "Hi! How are you guys?"

On her screen, Rikku looked concerned as Yuna and Paine were in the background. "We haven't been able to talk to you in a while! We heard that you were sick!"

Aqua smiled to assure them. "Don't worry. I'm all right. I've just been busy that's all."

Yuna took the phone from Rikku's hand. "Are you sure?"

Aqua nodded. "Yes."

All of a sudden, she heard a knock at the door, which surprised her. She didn't expect anyone to come by. When she noticed, she smiled toward the three and decided to end the call. "Don't worry! I have to go. I'll talk to you soon!" The girls told her goodbye and hung up on the other end. Afterwards, she went to the door. Her face changed to shocked. She couldn't believe who it was. "Hey! What brings you here?"

The red-haired girl smiled toward her. "I heard you weren't feeling well. I came by to check on you."

Aqua smiled gently. "Kind of out of the way for you, isn't it Kairi? I couldn't be the only reason you stopped by."

Kairi shook her head. "No. I came to drop something off for school. Mind if I come in?"

They went into her bedroom and sat down. "Sorry... It's kind of a mess."

Kairi looked around at her bed. There were books and papers spread all around her. "It looks like you've been studying a lot."

Aqua smiled a little as she looked around. "Yes. There's a lot of work that needs to be done." Then, she lifted her head back to Kairi. "It's been a long time since we talked alone like this in my room."

Kairi giggled. It really had been a while. "You're right about that."

Aqua grabbed her hands as she looked excited. "So? You'll be coming here too? Congratulations!"

Kairi nodded. "Thanks!"

"That means we'll be able to see each other soon enough," Aqua pointed out.

"Yeah! It'll be really fun and the others will be coming here too!"

A surprised look came on Aqua's face as she smiled. "Really? That'll be great! We'll all get to see each other again!"

Kairi grinned. "I know!" Afterwards, she wanted to get down to the other reason she stopped by to visit. "Now. What's going on with you?"

Aqua looked down. "I'm not sure. I've just been tired a lot." She placed her hand against her head. "And a little dizzy and my stomach feels all over the place."

Kairi became a little concerned. "Maybe you should rest more."

Aqua let out a sigh. "I'm trying...but there's so much to do…"

"Maybe you have a bug or something," Kairi suggested.

Aqua took a second to think about it, but she didn't think that was the reason. "Maybe..."

"Or…?" Kairi's voice sounded a little nervous.

Aqua gave her a curious look. "What?"

Another thought crossed Kairi's mind, but she wasn't sure if she should ask. Still, it could help. "How have things been going between you and Vanitas?"

Instantly, a smile appeared on Aqua's face. Both of them were in a better place since he came back into her life. "Good."

Kairi's eyes traveled toward the side, nervous. What she wanted to ask was a little personal. "Have you two been…close?"

Aqua looked confused. "Close? How-?" Quietly, Kairi pointed her finger inches away from her stomach. Aqua's eyes widened once she caught onto what she suggested. "What-?! No way!"

Kairi looked to the side uneasy. Doubt began to cross her mind. "Sorry! I didn't mean-."

Aqua breathed out heavily as she closed her eyes. Once she calmed, she thought about the possibility. "No. Nothing is one hundred percent…"

Kairi lifted her eyes to hers. "Do you think…it's possible that…?"

Aqua's eyes traveled to the side concerned as she placed her hand near her lips. "Hmm… There might have been a time when… I might have…" Then, she placed her hands on her knees as she sighed. "With all the work that's been piling up, there was a time I did forget to…" Her eyes lowered. Lately, she hadn't been careful and they had been more intimate since they've been back together.

Seeing her on edge, Kairi stood up and stared at her calmly as she held out her hand toward her. "There's only one way to find out. Come on." Uneasy, Aqua nodded. She wondered if it really was possible...

Later, Vanitas stepped in and leaned against the doorway with food. "Aqua?" he called. Vanitas walked over and placed the food on the counter. Curious, he looked around, but she wasn't in the living room. "Aqua?" Afterward, Vanitas stepped into their bedroom. He figured that she would still be resting, but she wasn't in her bed. It surprised him. "Hey! Where are you?" Nearby, he heard voices through the bathroom door which made him arch his eyebrow.

Inside of the bathroom, Aqua sat on the edge of the bathtub with Kairi next to her. Both of them stared toward the counter as they waited. Then, Kairi gave Aqua a concerned look. "What will you do?"

Aqua's eyes lowered as she noticed Kairi's expression out of the corner of her eye. "I don't know… If I really am… my parents will be really angry because I won't be able to finish school right now." Her head dropped with her eyes closed. "And Vanitas…"

Confused, Vanitas opened the door. Instantly, Aqua's and Kairi's eyes widened and they stood up on edge. "What are you two-?" Then, he noticed a stick on the counter, which made him suspicious. "What the-?!" Kairi frowned and pushed him out. Vanitas's face became written with confusion and anger. "What are you doing here Red and what are you guys doing in there?!"

"You can't just barge in!" Kairi shouted back.

"It's my apartment-!" Vanitas stopped arguing with her once they heard the door opened. Aqua stepped out. The two looked at her curious. To assure them, she shook her head as she closed her eyes.

Later, Aqua walked with Kairi out of the apartment door. Aqua smiled a little toward her. "Thanks for stopping by."

Kairi waved. "No problem. I'm sorry we couldn't figure out what was going on with you, but I hope you feel better."

Aqua waved back. "Tell Sora we said hi." Afterwards, Kairi walked away.

Suddenly, the door slipped from Aqua's fingers and slammed closed, which stunned her. When she turned around, Vanitas stood in front of her. The frown on his face and his furrowed eyebrows were clear on his face. "What was that?!"

Her back leaned against the door. Inside, it concerned her at how angry he was. "It was just so we could rule out the possibility-."

Frustrated, he growled. "You should've been more careful!"

She pouted as she watched him walk away. "It wasn't just me you know..." With a frown, she followed behind him. "Well forgive me for being busy and focused on other things, but you're not the one who has to keep track of making sure we're safe just so you can have a good time!"

Vanitas stopped in the kitchen. He looked back and glared. "Stop playing around and get yourself checked out tomorrow!" After things calmed down, Aqua stepped in the kitchen. Vanitas went through the bag of food he had. She looked toward the floor before she looked at him. "Have you…ever thought about…?" Nervously, her eyes traveled down. "…kids?" she whispered. When she saw the look on his face, he still had a clear frown as his face was tense. "Vani…tas?" As she spoke, he walked away from her. Her eyes traveled down. It was one of the few things they hadn't discussed...

The next day, Aqua returned back to the apartment. After she settled, she lied on her bed and slept. Later, she felt something near her feet. Tired, she woke up. When she looked at the foot of her bed, she noticed that Vanitas had leaned forward and removed his socks. She leaned on her elbow. "Hi…" she whispered.

Since their argument the night before, he hadn't said much to her. When he spoke, he didn't look back at her. "What did the doctor say?"

"Hmm…" Aqua sat up and looked down as she thought back. "I just need to rest more. With everything going on, I haven't eaten or slept much. I've been really stressed with exams lately so that's why my body has been a little weird." Suddenly, she felt a flick to her forehead, which she closed her eyes tight. "Ow…What-?"

Vanitas frowned at her as his body was twisted toward her. "Take care of yourself. I'm not going to do it for you." He turned back forward.

Since he was talking again, she wondered if she could bring up the same thing she did yesterday. "You never did…answer my question."

Vanitas breathed out as he remained silent. It took some time for him to answer. "…It's not for me."

Aqua became surprised and curious. "What do you mean?"

"Just drop it…" Since he didn't answer, she scooted in closer and sat near the edge of the bed. She could see his uncertainty. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pressed against him. "For the record…, I think you would make a good dad."

He arched his eyebrow toward her. "And what makes you say that?"

She smiled a little. "Well…you know how to take care of your family and you can be protective."

He shook his head as he looked down. "It's ain't happening."

She sat down beside him at the edge of the bed. "I don't understand…"

Afterwards, he stood up and headed toward the door. "I gave you my answer. What more do you want?"

Aqua's eyes lowered as she sighed, which he noticed. A slight frown tugged at her lips. "You're right. Never mind…"

The annoyed tone in her voice made him curious. It sounded as if there was something else she wanted to say. "What?" When she didn't respond, he turned more toward her and asked again. "Just say it!"

She placed her hands on her knees as she stared toward the floor. "I know what you said, but I couldn't help but feel like there's another reason you're not telling me." His eyes lowered toward the ground. She noticed his reaction. She patted the bed beside her. "Please…There's something I want to say." Vanitas walked back over and sat beside her. Aqua thought back to when they were younger. "We've known each other for a long time. Even back then, I knew there were some things you didn't like to talk about, but I still wanted to be there for you when you were finally ready to. After all we've been through, I wanted to find a way that you could depend on me when you needed. I still want you to feel open with me. When you talked about what happened before you came back and how you felt, I was relieved and happy because I felt closer to you. I thought it helped you too." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'll always be here. Just remember that." His eyes traveled along the floor. After things turned silent, the reason she wanted to know came to his mind again. The thought caused anger to course through him. A growl escaped through his teeth that were pressed together. Curious, Aqua lifted her head. Once she saw his anger, she started to get concerned. "Vanitas-?"

His fist baled against the top of his leg. "I don't want to be anything like that bastard…"

Aqua could hear the hatred in his voice. "Who…?" she asked surprised.

"Back then, he didn't care if he left anyone behind. We were just left to fend for ourselves. I didn't have a choice but to take care of others."

Through his vague pronoun, he made it a little clearer as to who he was talking about. Aqua shook her head. A gentle smile crossed her lips. "That's the thing. Back then, you did have a choice. We all do. You didn't have to help at all, but you decided to take the hard path and do it for them." She placed her hand against her chest. "And I'm sure that the others are grateful for that." She lifted her eyes to him. "Maybe things might have been easier with him around, but there's no use dwelling on the past. Who knows if things would have turned out any differently?" His eyes traveled along the floor. She had a point, but still… "I see…That explains a lot…even back then..." She wrapped her arms around his arm. "Vanitas…you're nothing like your father." Quickly, he turned his head to her as his eyes widened. Her eyes met his. "You never left me behind so I know you won't now. You always came back for me." She smirked toward him. "Plus I know you only have eyes for me so that's how I know you'll be just fine," she replied with confidence.

Her words caused a genuine laugh to escape from him. Then, he smirked. "You really want a kid who looks like me?"

She gave a slight shrug. "What's wrong with that?"

"Hmm…" Then, he gave her a suspicious look. "You're just saying that because that's what you want."

She shook her head. "No." She nudged him. "Although we should slow down a little."

"Hmm… Whatever. It's not happening yet so there's no point talking about it."

She arched her eyebrow as she smiled. "Yet?"

He didn't think about what he said. Then, he smirked. She trapped him by his words. "We'll see if you get what you want." Aqua smiled. They could only see what happens later on in life. She moved further back on the bed. Vanitas smiled a little. "Going back to sleep?"

"I'm still supposed to be resting. Do you mind... staying with me for a little?"

"I guess for a little while." He moved over beside her. Both of them lied on their sides. He leaned his head against her arm as he closed his eyes.

She closed her eyes as she gently smiled. Her hand grasped onto his that was pressed against her chest. "It's nice to have time just like this. To just lay here. Just the two of us..."

As he pressed his hips closer to hers, his hand squeezed her right breast. "Nothing that leads to this right?"

"Hey!" Nervously, she jumped as her face heat up a little.

He buried his face further into her back. "Relax…I heard you the first time. I ain't gonna try anything."

She turned her body completely toward him as she grinned. "Try not to be too disappointed."

He frowned. "Yeah yeah…I'm in this for more than that you know."

She placed her fingers toward her lips as she giggled. "Oh really?"

"I have some self-control... Worry about yourself. You attacked me last time."

Aqua's eyes widened. "What?! No way!"

He smirked and pulled her closer by her waist. "All I tried to do was order food, but you wanted something more."

She pouted as she looked toward the side. "Whatever… You teased me first..." He snickered. Then, she looked up at him with sincerity. Her hand slid along his cheek to his jawline. "Don't ever doubt that you're different. I'm glad you told me." Listening, he relaxed. She made him more open to the possibility. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Aqua grinned. "I see you didn't object when I said you only had eyes for me. Back when we were kids, did you have a crush on anyone else beside me?"

He shrugged. "I didn't really care about girls. I thought it was lame."

His answer made her curious. "But what about me then?"

"You were just around." Aqua pouted as she pushed him. Her arms crossed against her chest. Vanitas looked over serious. "What?"

Her eyes traveled away from him as she frowned. "So... I guess I was just a convenience…"

He wrapped his hand around her waist as he looked serious. "No. That's just the way things worked out. Out of anyone, you were the person I could tolerate the most."

"Thanks…" she replied dully.

"I hung around you all the time, didn't I? That had to mean something." A faint smirk crossed his lips. "You were cute, I wanted you, and now you're mine."

She arched her eyebrow. "Were?"

He brushed her blue bangs aside. "Still are." He pressed his lips against her forehead. His thumb brushed against her chin. "Even when you had braces."

"You picked on me about those." She looked toward the side. "That was mean…" she muttered.

"I told you why." He closed his eyes as he sighed. It seemed as if he was digging a bigger hole for himself. "Fine… I'm sorry I picked on you…I told you it was because I liked you." His eyes traveled along the bed. He let out another sigh. "And about yesterday too. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you." In response, she smiled. It didn't seem as if she was upset anymore. He arched his eyebrow. "Would you have been jealous if I went with another girl?"

Back then, she wasn't sure if she would be, but the thought of someone else would have made her upset now. "Maybe…I don't know, but…if you wanted to be with someone else and you were truly happy, I would be happy for you."

"Better than me. I couldn't." He didn't think he could be friends with her much less around her if she had chosen someone else.

Aqua looked down. "It could've been that way if I didn't know how you felt." A determined look came on her face. "That's why I want you to tell me how you feel more often. We could've missed out on this. I'm glad things worked out the way they did."

"Me too." Vanitas lifted her chin. "There's no use dwelling on the past. We're here now."

Aqua nodded in response. She placed her hand against his cheek. "You know… you're not so bad yourself." He smirked. He leaned in and gave her a sensual kiss. "Hm." More, she became captivate in his kiss. His rubbed against the side of her stomach, slowly raising her shirt. Her hand brushed against his chest down toward his stomach. He noticed how her hand had hit his belt. She seemed anxious so he came up with a plan in mind to really tease her. His fingers traced along her stomach and slipped into shorts. She breathed out as they parted. Her body was ready and anxious, but then noticed that he had stopped a little below her stomach.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the smirk that was on his face. "Wait now…you told me that we should slow down. This doesn't seem right. Then again, I could make an exception." Vanitas leaned in toward her lips as his hand slowly moved further down. "But it's going to cost you."

Her eyes opened surprised. "What?"

He leaned partly over her as she turned her back. His hand rubbed against the side of her stomach toward her chest. "Let's make a little wager, if you can't resist, which you can't, then you'll have to cook for me for a week."

An appalled look came on her face. "You can't be serious."

Aqua was about to sit up, but Vanitas grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the bed as he came over her. "Oh I am." He leaned in toward her chest and pinched the fabric of her shirt with his lips pressed tightly together. He slid it further up her body. "But you see, if you do, I can help you."

She gave him a skeptical look. "How so?"

He tilted his head toward her neck and began to kiss her. Her eyes lowered to a close as she breathed out. "For one, I could help you get back to sleep, but more than that, you would get what you want. I'll have you crying out my name in no time."

She frowned toward him. "Your confidence is little much, isn't it?"

"I would like to think I know your body very well." He tilted his head down and let a trail of kisses along her stomach toward the edge of her stomach. His teasing started to get to her again. Afterwards, he sat up on his knees. "When you change your mind, just call out for me." He stood up from the bed and tossed his shirt and belt aside to feel more relaxed now that he was home. He looked back and smirked. "Otherwise, good luck getting this chance again." Aqua watched as he left the room. Afterwards, she turned on her stomach as she pouted. She leaned her head against her arms as she closed her eyes. Again, his arrogances got the best of him, but she had to admit that Vanitas did managed to get under her skin. Her body felt worked up from his teasing, but she couldn't give him the satisfaction that he was right. This was one game he wasn't going to win. As she started to relax, she thought about their conversation earlier. Inside, she was glad that he felt a little more at ease about their future. It was the last thing on her mind before she fell asleep.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	44. Life: A Plan In Motion

_**Author's Notes:** Thanks for keeping up with the story! This chapter you won't find in any of the other stories. I hope you'll like it!_

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry Meets The Runaways & The Other Side of the Fence (Sora, Kairi, Roxas, and Vanitas side of the story)_

 _Chapter 43: A Plan In Motion:_

As afternoon was upon him, Sora headed out of the door now that school was over. Today, he was on a mission. Summer was on the horizon so he had to finish his plan soon. "Sora?! Sora?!" Surprised, he looked back. He was so deep in thought that he almost didn't notice the call. Kairi caught up with him. She placed her hands behind her as she grinned. "Hey! Where are you off to?"

Nervously, he rubbed the back of his head as he smiled. "Oh! Um…? Just heading off, that's all."

Kairi gave him a confused stare. "I thought you didn't have to work today."

Sora let out a shrug as his eyes traveled up and to the side. "I'm-I'm not sure what you mean."

"Hmm…" It seemed like he was hiding something, but she brushed her thoughts aside. "Well… I can come visit you."

Anxious, his eyes shifted back and forward. He couldn't risk her following him. "I'm-I'm going to be pretty busy today, so I won't be able to talk long and I wouldn't want you to wait." He smiled a little toward her. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"Hmm…" Kairi watched as he waved and ran off. Something seemed off about their conversation or really him. It was a strange encounter. Over the last few months, she knew that he had been working afterschool. Sometimes, school was the only time when she saw him. That new routine didn't seem out of place, but something else did. Whenever she would ask what he was up, he would either dodge the question or change the subject. She wasn't sure why. They never kept anything from each other, but she couldn't shake the feeling. Then, Kairi smiled as a thought came to mind. Again, she brushed off the fact that he acted distant. _"I know he said he would be busy, but it wouldn't hurt to stop by for a minute."_ She giggled to herself. She could make it a surprise.

After an hour, she stopped by the shop that he worked at in town. The only person that she saw was a girl at the counter. Kairi walked over to her as she greeted the girl with a warm smile. "Excuse me? Do you mind if I speak with Sora?"

Instantly, the girl blinked surprised. "Sora? He's not-."

"He said that he would be busy, but-."

"He's not in today. Sorry…" Kairi stood surprised and confused. Afterwards, Kairi stepped outside in front of the store, lost. Maybe there was something to him acting strange earlier. If he wasn't there, then where was he now…?

* * *

Sora stared out at the ocean as he sat on the shore. There was a determined expression on his face. "Are you sure about this?" Roxas looked down at him as he was uneasy about Sora's plan.

Then, Sora stood up. He remained unwavering in his decision. "Yeah."

Roxas shook his head a little. "I get it, but…" He turned more toward him as he held out his hand. "Do you really want to ask the face of evil?"

"The face of evil huh? I haven't been called that in a while." Roxas jumped at the voice that whispered in his ear. He could feel a warm breath on the edge of his skin. Quickly, he jumped back, panicked, as his eyes widened. The smirk grew on the face of the person who just showed up. Before Roxas could speak, the person they waited for used his fingers to tilt Roxas's head back, causing him to close his eyes and take a step back. "I'll deal with you soon little brother, but first…" He stepped in front of Sora. Across from him, he could see the determined stare from his other younger brother. His interest grew. "I wanna know what you want with me Sora." Sora remained silent at first. It only made Vanitas more curious. "You better have a good reason for bringing me out here during my vacation."

Sora smiled."Good to see you too Vanitas."

Vanitas arched his eyebrow. He wasn't expecting a warm welcome, but immediately he remembered he was dealing with Sora. "I doubt you wanted to see me because you missed me. So? What is it? This better be good."

Determined, Sora stood in front of him. "I need to ask you for a favor."

"I'm listening…" After a few minutes of Sora's explanation, Vanitas curled his index finger to his lips as his eyes traveled down. "I see... That's why you want my help…"

"I almost have everything I need, but…" Disappointed, Sora looked down toward the ground. "…I came up a little short."

A smirk flashed across Vanitas's lips as he crossed his arms. This really was a fascinating situation. "That's a big favor to ask. Seems more like a risk to me." He moved forward and leaned closer toward Sora's face. "So…? This little plan you got in place… you think it's worth it?"

"Yes!" Sora answered right away.

At first, Vanitas was surprised with what Sora was up to, but when he thought about it, he truly wasn't. That didn't mean he couldn't play around with Sora. Vanitas tilted his head as he arched his eyebrow. "So… What if it doesn't work?"

Sora looked determined. "I know it will!"

Vanitas crossed his arms. "If I do this, you'll be in my debt. What are you willing to do for me?"

Sora baled his fist upwards. "I'll pay you back!"

"You will, but what else are you willing to do? Let's see…" A devious smirk curved at his lips. "You can beg me for it."

A shocked and upset came on Roxas's face. "Vanitas! Stop-!" Sora kneeled down on the ground. His hands and knees were pressed against the sand. Out of the corner of his eye, Roxas spotted what Sora did and quickly turned to him. "Wha- What are you doing?!"

Vanitas gave them a dull stare. "I wasn't serious..." Afterwards, he relaxed a little. "This must be really worth it to you."

Sora stood up. "Yes! More than anything!"

Roxas became upset. "Enough playing around! Are you going to help him or what?"

Vanitas rolled his eyes to the side as he thought they were being too dramatic for Sora's request. "Fine… If it means that much to you…"

Sora let out a grin as Roxas looked surprised. "Are-Are you sure? It's not too much?"

Vanitas shrugged. "I still have a lot of money left over. I think I can swing it."

Roxas's eyebrows furrowed. "How do you have that kind of money?"

Vanitas's face grew dark. If the time ever came, he planned on telling his brothers about his past. Now had seemed like a good time while they were alone. "I was a part of a group. They called themselves 'The Organization'." Roxas's eyes widened, stunned. Could they have been a part of the same group? Vanitas took notice of his expression.

Sora became confused. "The organization? What's that?"

Vanitas sat down on the sand. It would be a long story. "They were a bad group." Sora and Roxas followed behind and sat beside him. As they watched the water brush up against the sand, Sora and Roxas listened to Vanitas's story. After they heard his story, it explained a lot about how Vanitas had changed back then until now.

Sora looked at him worried. "So? Is that why you ended up in the hospital?"

Before Vanitas could answer, Roxas's eyes traveled along the sand. "It was a revenge plot," he spoke. Vanitas's eyes grew darker. Roxas looked over at Vanitas "Is that why you and Aqua couldn't explain what happened to Ventus? You couldn't tell us then?"

Vanitas looked forward serious. "When I finally got out of there, they did whatever they could to get back at me. I didn't mean for Ventus to end up there, but he ended up a causality."

Sora breathed out as he looked down, sad. Roxas did the same. Then, Sora looked toward the other two. "I wish Ventus was here now. I wanted his help."

Vanitas let out an ironic smirk as his eyes searched over the ocean. He sat back on his hands. "I'm sure he heard once I was here, he wouldn't show. He hates me now. It took him a while to wake up because of me. He blames me for all of his problems." He turned his head toward Sora. "I'm surprised you don't hate me either."

Sora closed his eyes as he shook his head a little. "I don't condone what you did. You hurt a lot of people and did some bad things. There were other things you could've done to help." Vanitas's eyes glazed over. He fully expected to hear that Sora shared the same feelings as Ventus. "But…" He baled his fist and gave Vanitas a concerned, sincere look. "But you suffered as well and they didn't make it easy for you to leave even when you wanted to. You took care of your mom and Ventus. You protected Aqua. That's all what matters." Sora grinned as he rubbed the bottom of his nose. "You can be really mean, but after everything, do you really think I could hate you?"

Vanitas's eyebrows furrowed. "You really are a pushover…"

Roxas sat back on his hands too. "Sora has a point." He tilted his head to the side as he looked at Vanitas. "You are a real jerk."

Vanitas chuckled silently. Then, he pointed toward Roxas's arm. "Where did you get that scar?"

Roxas covered his arm with his hand. "It was an accident."

Vanitas glared at him. "Don't lie to me. I know you know something about the organization. You already gave yourself away."

Roxas breathed out. Since Vanitas told his story, maybe it was finally time to tell his. "You're right... I was…apart of the organization too…" The news surprised Sora. Vanitas's expression became tense. His suspicions were right. Watching the two stare at him, Roxas started at the beginning when he first joined. After they listened to his story, Roxas felt a hard punch to the arm, which hurt a lot worse than the flick he got from Vanitas earlier. He closed his eyes tight. "Ow! What-?"

Vanitas glared at him, angry. "How big of an idiot are you?! You gotta be the biggest one I know!"

Sora gave an uneasy look as he held up his hands. "Go easy on him."

Vanitas couldn't believe what he just heard. "You don't know what would have happened if he had actually got trapped in the organization. They only saw you as a kid. You were more like their lap dog." Vanitas glared coldly at Roxas. "If you were in my position, they would have killed you."

Roxas's eyes lowered. It was hard enough getting a lecture from Vanitas. Then, he felt a hard flick to the forehead, which made him close his eyes tight. "Ow! What now-?"

Vanitas frowned. "On top of that, you were stupid enough to get a girl knocked up. You should know better than that. Right Sora?"

Nervously, Sora waved his hands as face turned completely red. The question caught him completely off guard. "Wha-?! I-I-I wouldn't know anything about that!"

Something behind his reaction made Vanitas curious. "Hmm… What are you hiding?"

"N-Nothing!" Sora instantly answered.

Vanitas gave a deviously smirk. "How do you know if she's worth it if you don't try?"

Sora gave a sincere look as he baled his fist. "She is worth it!"

Vanitas chuckled. "That settles it. You're not as innocent as I thought." Sora's eyes widened in response. Vanitas shook his head. "Never thought Ventus would be the last to get with a girl. Always thought it would be you Sora. So…? How was it?" Sora stuttered a little, but then let out a loud sigh and fell back against the sand with his arms and legs spread out.

"Oh come on! That doesn't mean…" Roxas looked over surprised. Sora placed his hands behind his head as he looked toward the ocean. Silence was his answer. "Oh…" Then, Roxas shrugged. "Never mind... You two have been together so long, you're practically married." Roxas pouted toward him. "I asked first you know…"

Vanitas smirked. "If you want to know something, you gotta know how to get it out of him. It used to be a lot easier twisting his arm to get an answer."

"I'm still here you know…" Sora murmured.

* * *

The next day, Roxas and Vanitas followed Sora. Now that Vanitas was on board, his plan had come together. Once they stopped, the three glanced down. A smirk crossed Vanitas's lips. "So? This is it?"

Sora nodded nervous, but excited. "Yeah!"

Vanitas glanced at Sora before he stared back down. This really was interesting time. "This better be worth it."

* * *

After school was over, Sora walked out of the school doors. "Sora!"

Sora looked back at the sound of the familiar voice. He stopped and waited. "Hey Kairi." She caught up with him as she looked a little concerned. Sora wondered why. "What's going on?"

Kairi glanced down concerned. "So…? I…"

Curious, he tilted his head toward the side. "Is something wrong?"

Her eyes lifted to his. "The other day I… I stopped by your work. You said that you would be there, but you weren't. Did something happen?"

Sora blinked surprised. "I never said that I was going to work."

Kairi stared at him surprised. "Then, where did you go?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that…Truth is Vanitas came back and I wanted to visit him. Then, I just got sidetracked from there."

Kairi looked a little confused. "How come you didn't tell me that your brother came back? Is he all right?"

Sora smiled a little. "You know him. He doesn't like to make a big deal about anything, but he's better."

"That's good." Then she looked to the side, concerned. "Sora…?" She lifted her eyes to him. "You would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you…?"

Sora looked a little surprised. "Of course I would." Uneasy, she put her hand underneath her hair, thinking. What if something was off between them? Then, she felt a hand against her shoulder. She looked over to see a smiling Sora. "Hey! Nothing to worry about okay?" Kairi nodded as she smiled a little. She was still worried about why he didn't tell her that he went to see Vanitas, but for now, she would have to trust that everything was okay like he said.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	45. SR & TR: The Most Important To Me Is You

_Author's Notes: Thank you for keeping up with the story! Hope you'll like the next chapter!_

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry Meets The Runaways (Sora, Kairi, Roxas & Xion side of the story)_

 _Chapter 44: The Most Important To Me Is You:_

 _I loved her since the day we met. There's no other girl I've ever loved as much as her and that's how it will always stay..._

 _-Sora_

The rest of the school year seemed to fly by and soon summer had official arrived. That meant their vacation had arrived as well. A giggle could be heard through the air. Kairi leaned toward the rail of the ship as the wind blew strongly through her hair. She stood on her tiptoes as she stared the horizon. As he watched nearby, Sora couldn't help but smile. They were lucky to get their vacation again. This time, he hoped it would be a summer that they would never forget...

Hours later, as the sun began to set, they reached the city they stayed in last summer during the storm and gone to the same hotel. They carried their bags through the front door. Kairi turned her head back toward Sora excited. "I can't believe it! You got us the same place as last year!"

Sora gave her a curious smile. "Is that okay?"

Kairi stopped, which caused him to stop. "It does bring up a lot of memories." Sora gave a slight nod. He could remember them as clearly as she could.

"Kairi!" Kairi turned her head forward, surprised by the call of her name. She didn't think anyone else would know her there besides Sora. Then, her eyes widened. She couldn't believe who she saw there. Nearby, Selphie waved toward them. "Kairi! Sora!"

Behind her, Kairi saw Olette, Pence, Hayner, Roxas, and Xion. Olette waved toward her as well. "Kairi!" Everyone ran over with smiles.

Kairi blinked surprised. She couldn't believe that almost everyone was there at once. "Guys…? How-?"

Selphie winked and then looked over at Sora. "It was all Sora's idea. He wanted us to spend time with each other before university next year."

Kairi gave Sora a surprised look. It explained why he wasn't shocked to see them. Sora nodded toward her. Kairi turned her attention back to the group. "We could've spent time on the island together."

Olette placed her hands behind her back as she leaned forward and grinned. "Now what fun would that be?!"

"Don't you want to spend time with us?" Pence asked.

"Of course I do!" Kairi answered. "I'm just surprised to see all of you guys here!"

Selphie gave her a teasing smile. "Don't worry." She nudged her slightly. "We won't take too much of your time away from Sora..." A little hint of red came to Kairi's cheeks.

Olette turned toward Selphie. "Stop teasing her Selphie. Let's let them get checked in first." Everyone except for Sora and Roxas escorted Kairi to the front desk as they talked.

Roxas stepped in beside Sora. "So? This is it. You ready?" They looked over toward the front desk where the others were.

A faint smile appeared on Sora as the same thought crossed his mind like it had all year. "Yeah. I'm ready."

After checking in, Kairi opened the door to their room. She was still stunned that Sora invited their friends to spend time with them. "I can't believe that the others came to spend time with us!" She plopped down on the bed as she left her suitcase aside.

Sora closed the door behind him. "Yeah. I figured since it was our last summer together, before we went our separate ways, we should spend time together."

Kairi blinked, amazed. "I'm surprised that you were able to get everyone."

Sora gave a disappointed smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well not everyone... Riku said that he would try to make it, but he has to travel a lot over the next few days for interviews." His eyes traveled toward the side. "And… I reached out to Namine, but I didn't think that she would..."

Kairi was surprised that he did, but she understood why. He knew Namine was family and Kairi wanted them to be close. "It might still be a little awkward... We're here and Xion and Roxas are here…"

"Whether they come or not, this is still going to be a fun summer for us!" Sora said, hopeful.

Kairi nodded. "Right!"

Sora smiled, curious. "So? What to do first?"

Kairi let out a grin. "I heard the others talking. They were thinking about going to the pool downstairs."

Sora walked over toward her. "Sounds fun."

Kairi's hand slid to the back of his neck. She leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. "Thank you." She leaned back as he leaned forward over her. Her eyes searched his. There was something behind his expression that she couldn't figure out. "What?"

Gently, he smiled. "I'm just glad that we could be here again."

The smile grew bigger on her face. Still, she couldn't help but feel like there was something else he wanted to say. "What is it lazy bum?"

His lips curved up more. "Just get changed before the pool gets crowded." He stood up and headed toward the door. "I'll meet you down there."

Kairi sat up on her elbows, curious. What could he have been up to? While she was alone, she changed into her white, two-piece, bathing suit. She checked her bag for something to wear over her suit. She placed her shorts on, but didn't find something she wanted to wear over the top. Curious, she went over to Sora's bag. If she would grab something of his to wear, she didn't think he would mind. She searched through his bag. She found a plain, white, short sleeve shirt that was loose and long enough to wear over her body. After she was dressed, she headed down to the indoor pool. When she looked around, she saw that most of everyone was there, but noticed that Sora wasn't and neither was Roxas. An uneasy feeling came over her. Again, he disappeared without a clue. "Kairi!" Nearby, Xion sat in one of the chairs near the pool.

Kairi let out a smile and sat in the chair beside her. "Xion! You look nice." Nervously, she rubbed her hand over her arm. She wore a blue two-piece bathing suit with a see-through, thin shirt over. Kairi took notice and smiled to assure her. "Don't worry. No one will notice the scars. Trust me." Xion relaxed and listened. She would take Kairi's word for it. Kairi glanced toward the pool before she looked down. "Hey... Have you seen Sora?" she asked uneasy.

Xion's eyes widened, surprised. She thought she knew. "Yeah. He's with Roxas." Kairi breathed out a little as she leaned back in the chair, disappointed. Xion became curious. "What is it?"

As much as she wanted to keep it to herself and think of it as nothing, it had been bugging her for a while. "Do you think…?" She shook her head. "Never mind…"

Xion leaned in closer to her. "What is it?"

Kairi glanced at Xion before she looked down. "Has… Sora mentioned anything to Roxas about…?"

"What?"

Kairi breathed out. "I feel like…there's something going on with Sora… He's been a little distance lately and…when I ask what's going on, he won't tell me anything. I wondered if he's…not interested in me anymore…" Hearing her say her insecurities out loud worried her more. Was she ready for the answer?

Xion shook her head and smiled toward her. "You don't have anything to worry about. Trust me."

Kairi stared at Xion. She seemed so sure. Maybe it was a silly thing to say. "I guess you're right…"

Xion grinned. "I know I'm right."

Kairi reacted with surprise. It wasn't something Xion usually said. Then, she smiled. She would trust her word. Selphie looked over as she was in the pool with Olette, Hayner, and Pence. "Kairi! Xion! Come on in!"

Kairi smiled toward her. "Coming!" She looked over at Xion. "Let's go."

Xion nodded. "All right."

From the other end of the room, Seifer, Fuu, Vivi, and Raj stepped toward the other, smaller pool. Then, Seifer looked over toward the other end once he heard laughter. Red came to his cheeks as he was stunned. Raj looked at him confused. "What is it?"

Seifer pointed over. "It's her!"

On the other end of the room, Kairi placed the shirt and shorts she had onto the edge of the chair. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow cast over her. When she looked up, she saw a blushing Seifer. Sweetly, she smiled. "Oh! Hello?"

From the pool, Hayner spotted Seifer with Raj, Vivi, and Fuu behind him and got upset. He let out a loud groan. "What is Seifer and his gang doing here? Out of all of the places he could have went…"

Nervous, Seifer rubbed the back of his head. "Do you remember me? You came during the struggle tournament."

Kairi looked surprised. "Oh…! Right! You competed in it too."

Xion remembered as well and smiled. "Right! That was the tournament Roxas won."

Kairi smirked toward Xion and nudged her with her elbow. "Roxas got lucky. Sora almost had him."

"No way!" Xion responded. Both of them let out a giggle.

"Anyway…I wanted to ask last time, but do you want to go out on a date with me?" Kairi blinked surprised at Seifer's question.

Nearby, Sora and Roxas stepped into the room. Roxas looked a little concerned. "Are you sure she found nothing in your bag?"

Sora shook his head. "No."

Roxas let out a relieved sigh. "That was a close one."

Sora looked at him. "I didn't think she would go in my bag."

Roxas shook his head slightly. "At least this will be over soon…"

Sora pointed over toward where the group was. "I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Nearby, they spotted Seifer as he held onto Kairi's hand. Kairi gave him an uneasy look. Raj stood in front of Xion as she looked uneasy as well. Roxas sighed frustrated and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Seifer and his gang again? Come on… This is the last thing that we need. Why did they have to be here of all places…?!"

"So? What do ya say Kairi?" Seifer asked in another attempt at a yes.

Kairi slipped her hand out of his. "I'll pass. I already have a boyfriend."

Seifer smirked. "I'm sure he couldn't be as good as me."

"I'm actually better." Everyone turned their attention behind Seifer to see Sora head over with a smile. Roxas followed behind him with a frown.

Kairi gave a look of relief. "Sora."

Sora stepped in beside her and slipped his arm around her waist as he looked serious. "Like she said, she's already taken."

Seifer frowned. "Oh…! It's you two again…"

Sora tilted his head, confused. "Who are you?"

Seifer became upset that he forgot him. "It's me! Seifer! You guys knocked me out of the tournament!"

"Huh?" The name still didn't ring a bell to Sora.

"Come on Sora… Stop kidding around. We knocked Seifer out of the first round remember?" Roxas said.

Sora slammed his fist into the palm of his hand. "Ohhh…!"

Seifer pointed between both of them. "Hey! It was the semi-finals and don't you forget it!"

Roxas shrugged as Xion stood over close to him. "Whatever…"

Seifer looked upset until an idea came to mind. "Then let's have a rematch and let's make it interesting this time."

Roxas frowned. The idea seemed silly. "We don't have anything to fight with."

"Let's do something different. We could use the pool. Earlier, I saw a net and I'm sure we can find a ball." Seifer smirked over at Raj. "Hey! How about we make this a double date?" Everyone was stunned by his wager. "If we win, we get dates with the girls." '

Roxas growled as his fists baled at his side. "You can't be serious!"

Sora arched his eyebrow as he frowned. "And what do we get when we win?"

Roxas looked at him surprised. "Huh?" He couldn't believe that Sora was seriously considering this.

"If you win, we'll leave the girls alone, but we're going to win this." Seifer smiled toward Kairi. "After one date with me, you'll forget all about him." Kairi frowned toward him.

Sora looked back toward Roxas. "What do you say? You in?"

Roxas looked determined. "Yeah I'm in."

Sora stepped closer to Seifer as he glared. "And when we win, stay away from Kairi."

Seifer smirked. "See you soon! Losers!"

"We're going to win this! Ya know!" Raj added. Seifer, Raj, Vivi and Fuu walked away.

Kairi turned toward the boys, upset with what happened. "This is silly! We're not some prize to be won!" Finally, her eyes landed on Sora who still had his back turned to her. "You don't have to do this! There's no way I'm going out with that guy!"

Sora turned his head back as he smiled. "You believe that I can win, right?"

Kairi looked surprised, but then concerned. "Of course I do."

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Sora assured her.

Roxas put his hands on his hips. "I still don't like this, but it sounds like Seifer is trying to get a win because he lost in the tournament."

Sora nodded as he looked serious. "We can handle another win."

Roxas nodded as he smirked. "Right!"

Olette went to the edge of the pool toward them. "I can help judge, so that way, I can make sure that Seifer doesn't cheat."

Hayner, Selphie, and Pence got out of the pool. "We'll help them set up and make sure they don't mess with anything," Hayner said.

While everyone helped set up for the competition, Kairi grabbed Sora's hand and pulled him aside near the door that led out of the pool. She pressed her fist against her chest, concerned. "Are you sure about this?"

Sora let out a smile before he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her in close. Instantly, her eyes widened as she felt his kiss. Red flushed her cheeks. Silently, he had let her know his answer. After a moment, her eyes lowered to a close. More, she relaxed as she became enraptured in his kiss. Her hand slid from his chest to his shoulder. After they parted, her eyes stayed close for a moment. Her body felt as light as air. No words came to her lips as she stared at him.

After things were set up by the others, Seifer frowned when he looked over. He noticed how close the two were. "Hey! You losers ready?!" he shouted.

Sora walked back over to Roxas. "Ready?" Roxas nodded. Afterwards, Sora handed Kairi his black tank top as he smiled at her. "Wish me luck." Kairi nodded in response.

Sora tilted his head toward her. His smile made her a little less worried. Then, Sora and Roxas jumped into the pool feet first. Everyone cleared out so it was just Sora and Roxas on one side of the net and Seifer and Raj on the other. Fuu stood beside Olette on the side. "What are you doing?"

"Referee."

Olette pouted toward her. "I can handle it."

"Even sides. Only fair," Fuu gave the same monotoned reply. Olette frowned, but didn't argue with Fuu.

Seifer smirked toward Sora and Roxas. "Best out of ten. The first team to score wins the game."

Olette tossed the ball to Sora that took the front for their team. "Ready?!"

Kairi and Xion sat on the side, near the stairs, with their feet in the pool, concerned. Nervously, Kairi stared out at them. "Good luck…" she whispered.

Nearby, Xion heard her. Uneasy, Xion intertwined her fingers together. "Yeah…"

Olette brought down her hand. "Begin!"

Sora threw the ball up and spiked it. From the other side, Seifer knocked it back with a smirk. The ball went toward Roxas in the back. In time, he managed to hit it. Sora jumped up and hit the ball, causing more speed. Soon, it had hit the water before Seifer and Raj could catch it. "1-0!" Olette called out. Everyone on the sidelines cheered. "The ball goes to the other side."

"Lucky shot!" Seifer frowned and spiked the ball.

The ball bounced off of Sora's wrist and went up into the air. Roxas managed to jump and spiked the ball. It slipped passed Raj and Seifer again. "2-0!" Olette shouted. Another cheer came from the crowd.

Seifer held the ball determined. "We won't let them score again!"

"Right yo!" Raj agreed.

Roxas served the ball. Once it reached the other side, with a yell, Seifer spiked the ball. Sora and Roxas got ready to counter, but then their faces changed to surprise. Everyone else on the side froze as they stared stunned. The ball hit the net before it reached the other side. Olette looked surprised still. "S-Since the ball didn't cross over, the point goes to Sora and Roxas. 3-0." Seifer stood shock. He couldn't believe he made a mistake like that. Then, he snapped out of it to focus on the next round. With another spike of the ball, Sora and Roxas managed to score one more time. "New score 4-0!"

Seifer growled frustrated to Raj. "Get your head in the game! They're beating us!"

"Right ya know!" Seifer spiked the ball, but Sora and Roxas managed to spike it back. Seifer and Raj knocked it back and managed to hit the water between Sora and Roxas. Sora and Roxas looked at each other surprised that they managed to get pass.

Fuu held out her hand. "New score. 4-1." Seifer and Raj gave each other a high five.

Sora looked back toward Roxas and gave him a thumbs up. "Don't worry! We're still good."

Two more rounds had passed. Seifer and Raj managed to score both times, making it 4-3. Soon, Sora and Roxas countered to make the score 5-3. Olette smiled. "Sora and Roxas are the first to make five. Now both teams can take a break."

Seifer and Raj hopped out of the pool and Fuu and Vivi made their way over to them. Sora went over toward the side where Kairi sat. The two smiled at each other as he floated over. "You know I think this is silly."

He stopped in between her knees. "I know."

Her hands went on both sides of his face. "But I'm glad that you're winning." Sora tilted his head up as Kairi leaned down. Their eyes lowered to a close as she kissed his lips.

Seifer noticed and became upset. "Hey! No fair! That shouldn't be allowed! That's cheering for the other team!"

Sora and Kairi parted after they heard Seifer's complaint. Sora smirked at him. "Whatever…" He turned his attention back to Kairi. "I'll have plenty of time when I win. Later then." Kairi nodded as she grinned. His confidence kept her confidence up.

Fuu and Olette came back to the center. Fuu held out her arm. "Break over."

Olette grinned. "Whoever get to ten is the winner! And… GO!"

The game continued. Fuu threw the ball to Seifer. Seifer let out a smirk before he spiked the ball. The ball was tossed back and forth a few times until it splashed near Sora's side. The first to score was Seifer and Raj. "5-4," Fuu announced.

Seifer and Raj came at them stronger than before. A minute later, they scored again. "5-5," Fuu announced again.

Seifer served again. Right away, Sora and Roxas lunged for the ball, but it slipped passed them. The score for Seifer and Raj kept going up. Fuu pointed toward Seifer and Raj. "5-6."

Seifer spiked the ball and hit the water passed Sora and Roxas once more. Fuu pointed toward them again. "5-7."

Raj spiked the ball and managed to hit the left side, causing Sora and Roxas to miss. "5-8."

Everyone rooting for Sora and Roxas on the sidelines started to get worried. It seemed Seifer and Raj had the upper hand and Sora and Roxas were on the verge of losing. Roxas splashed the water frustrated. It seemed like no matter what now, they couldn't score on them. Sora looked a little worried and then looked over toward Olette. "Time out."

Seifer smirked as he pointed toward them. "Awe! Calling it quits already. Fine then. Nothing's going to change for you losers!"

Roxas growled frustrated as he pressed his teeth together. Sora placed his hand on Roxas's shoulder. "Come here." They went toward the edge of the pool. Sora gave a serious look. "Calm down."

Roxas glared toward him. "They're beating us! Two more shots and then they'll win!" Sora's eyes traveled down. It seemed they were in a tough situation. Roxas glanced over toward Xion who seemed worried. He didn't want her to go on a date with someone else. Then, his eyes traveled down. "I shouldn't have let you talk me into this…" he whispered between them.

"Hey!" Roxas lifted his head. There was determined look on Sora's face. "If we trust each other, we'll win. I have an idea how to turn this game around."

As they spoke, Kairi leaned over with her elbows against her knees worried as Xion looked over worried as well. "What are they going to do? Two more shots and-."

Kairi remembered what Sora told her earlier. She became determined. "No! We're not going to think like that." Sora looked over toward her. Their eyes met from across the pool, both reading the other's mind. "Sora told me to trust him so that's what I'm going to do. I believe he and Roxas will put out a win."

Xion watched her reaction. It made most of her worry go away. Xion nodded and looked at them. "I'll do the same."

Roxas stared at Sora confused. "That's your big plan? Just switch places?"

Sora smiled. "Yeah."

"Why would that work any better?" Roxas asked, skeptical.

"I can move faster in the water and you have more power behind your hits. I think if we switch it up, we might be able to win." Roxas looked a little concerned, but all he saw was Sora's smile. Roxas still wasn't sure about this plan. Sora placed his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry! I got your back." Roxas had no choice but to trust that Sora knew what he was doing. The two turned back forward.

Seifer smirked toward them. "You finally ready to lose this game?"

Sora looked determined. "We're not going to lose!"

Roxas swam out front, which surprised Seifer and Raj. "Hey! What are you guys doing ya know?"

Roxas frowned toward them. "There's no rule against switching. You got a problem with that?"

Seifer smirked. "Whatever! We'll take you down either way."

Xion looked surprised along with Kairi. "What's going on? They've switched."

Kairi wasn't sure what Sora was thinking, but she trusted his judgement. "Sora must have some kind of plan."

Sora tossed the ball toward Roxas. Roxas spiked the ball forward. It went back and forth between the four. Sora hit the ball and Roxas knocked it forward, adding more power to his hit. It splashed in front of Seifer which he closed his eyes tight. Everyone let out a smile. Sora and Roxas managed to score. Olette cheered. "That's a score of 6-8!" Roxas looked back toward Sora surprised. Sora smiled as he winked and gave a thumbs up.

Seifer growled. "Lucky shot…" They went another round again. Sora managed to hit the ball before it hit the water. Once it was in front of Roxas, he knocked the ball to the other side. Seifer and Raj countered back. Roxas let out a yell as he hit as hard as he could. He hit the water toward the edge of the pool. Seifer looked over upset. "Hey! That shouldn't count!"

Olette frowned. "It was still in bounds of the pool. If it would have hit the floor, it wouldn't count. That counts. Fuu?"

Fuu nodded. "Agreed."

Olette was glad that she did. "The new score is 7-8."

Everyone breathed out a sigh of relief except for Seifer who looked upset. "Fine! Bring it on!" Seifer hit the ball as hard as he could, which caused Roxas to rush forward. He tried to hit the ball, but he missed and the ball hit the water.

"7-9," Fuu called. Seifer, Raj, and Vivi cheered.

Uneasy, Roxas and Sora glanced at each other. "Focus! Don't let them get to you!" Sora assured him.

Kairi stared forward uneasy as her nails went toward her lips. "Only one point left for them to score…"

Sora caught the ball and looked down. Then, he looked at Roxas. Roxas nodded toward him, determined. They trusted each other. That was what mattered. Sora spiked the ball. Seifer and Raj countered. Working together, Sora and Roxas hit the ball and it landed on the water beside Seifer and Raj. Olette smiled, hopeful. "The new score is 8-9."

Seifer brushed it off. "All we have to do is get one more point and we win."

Another round went. Sora and Roxas managed to score another goal. The crowd let out a cheer. "The new score is tied 9-9!" Olette announced.

Kairi looked at Sora, anxious. "This is it! This decides the winner! You can do it Sora! Roxas!"

Sora and Roxas looked determined and focus. They were set on winning this. Seifer spiked the ball. Sora and Roxas countered. Afterwards, Seifer and Raj hit back hard. Roxas held up his hand. The ball touched the tips of his fingers. His eyes widened. He had missed his chance to strike back. "Oh no…" He didn't want to make them lose this, but it was too late.

"Got it!" Sora moved toward the side and hit the ball. "Roxas!"

"Got it!" Roxas jumped up and hit the ball as hard as he could. The ball slipped through Seifer's finger.

"Got it ya know!" Raj hit the ball. Seifer hit the ball over the net.

Determined, Sora hit the ball. This time, he put all of his faith in Roxas. "You got this?!"

"Yeah!" Roxas hit the ball as hard as he could with a loud yell. He managed to hit the water beside Seifer and Raj.

Everyone interrupted into cheers. Olette held up her hand. "10-9! Sora and Roxas win!"

Kairi and Xion breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally over. Seifer couldn't believe it. He stood stunned. The last few moments played over and over in his head. Roxas stood stunned as well. Together, they had actually won. Suddenly, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder. He looked over to see a grinning Sora. "I told you that we could do it!"

Even Roxas had to let out a smile at him being right. "You were right."

Seifer looked upset as he pointed. "Hey! One more game!"

Sora grinned toward him. "No thanks! One is enough."

Seifer growled and got out of the pool along with Raj. Afterwards, he along with Raj, Vivi, and Fuu left. Sora stepped out of the water to a waiting Kairi with her hands behind her back. "Cutting it kind of close, weren't you?"

"Maybe," he answered. Happy, she wrapped her arms around him in an embrace.

Everyone else surrounded Sora and Roxas. "You really showed them!" Hayner said.

"Yeah!" Pence agreed.

Soon after, everyone jumped back into the pool. On the side, Roxas sat in one of the chairs as Xion lied on her side next to him. She leaned against his chest. Across the way, he noticed Sora and Kairi near the corner, grinning toward each other. "That really was a close one."

Roxas snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Xion. "There was no way that we were going to let those guys win."

Xion smiled a little. She was glad things worked out. "I know." Roxas's eyes traveled down, thinking. He sat up, which she looked surprised. "Roxas…?"

"I'll be back." He stood up and walked away. Xion watched concerned as he disappeared out of sight. He seemed distance again...

In the pool, Kairi let out a laugh as her arms were wrapped Sora's neck. He carried her across the water. "Did you ever have any doubts?"

She shook his head. "No. Not for a second." Her eyes gazed into his as she let out a loving smile. "No matter what, I'll always believe in you." A smile crossed his lips. He was touched to hear that. He helped her stand up in the water. They floated toward the corner of the pool as she kept her arms wrapped his neck and his arms wrapped around her waist. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that Xion sat alone as she looked down sad and then noticed that Roxas was missing. Kairi noticed as well. They went over concerned. "Where did Roxas go?" Kairi asked.

"I'm not sure. He just walked off," Xion answered.

Sora looked over concerned toward Kairi. "I'll go check on him."

Kairi nodded. Sora headed out of pool area. Meanwhile, Kairi sat next to Xion. "Are you okay?"

"Roxas has been distant a lot too. I'm not sure why."

"Hmm…" It seemed like they were in similar situations.

Outside of the hotel, Roxas stared up toward the night sky. The quiet was calming. "What's on your mind?"

Surprised, he snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head to see Sora stop in beside him with a smile. "Sora? What are you doing out here?"

"Xion was worried about you, so I came to check on you." Sora looked up toward the night sky. "This isn't the first time that she's been worried about you. You haven't been telling her what's on your mind." Sora gave a gentle smile. "You're not alone. You have people that you can count on."

Roxas stared at him stunned as he breathed in. Then, he looked down. Things turned silent between them until Roxas spoke, "Thanks for today."

Sora looked over surprised. "Huh?"

Roxas gave him a sincere look. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have won against Seifer. I thought that I had messed up when that ball slipped through my fingers, but you were right there. We could've lost because of me."

Sora grinned. "Oh! That? I wasn't worried."

Roxas looked surprised. "But what if we would've lost?!"

"There's no way we would have," Sora said.

"But what if-?"

"There's _no way_ we would lose..."

Roxas froze. The smile Sora gave seemed a little scary along with the darker tone of his voice. He wasn't going to think about that possibility. "There was no way you would have let him go out with Kairi even if he did win…"

"Nope!" Sora said with a grin.

Roxas laughed a little as he shook his head. Afterwards, he relaxed. "Thanks for believing that I could do it." His eyes traveled toward the side as he thought back. "You've been trying to help me since I've moved in with you. Sorry if I've been a pain."

Sora grinned. "It doesn't matter. You're my little brother. That's how it will always stay."

Roxas let out a smile. It was hard for him to let anyone in, but now it felt good to. "Thanks Sora. I'll talk to Xion. Now you can tell Kairi what's going on too."

Sora looked down, thinking. "Yeah..."

Roxas placed his hand on Sora's shoulder. "Don't worry. It will be all right."

Sora smiled over at him. "I know it will."

They headed toward the door. Sora pulled on the handle, but realized it was locked. Roxas looked over at him. "You do have the key, don't you?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head as he laughed nervously. "Umm…?"

Roxas gave him a dull stare. "You forgot the key, didn't you?"

"Well the girls were worried, so I wasn't thinking about that…?" Nervously, he laughed again.

Roxas sighed and they started walking. "Let's just go to the front. Hopefully we don't get locked out of anywhere else…"

* * *

"They've disappeared again, haven't they?" Kairi searched through her bag in her hotel room. She looked back toward Xion who sat on the bed.

Xion nodded. "Yeah."

Kairi breathed out. She just didn't understand it. "How come the two of them keep taking off together?"

Xion let out a comforting smile. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." Xion picked up a box from the side of the bed and slid it across the bed. "I think this is for you."

Kairi looked over surprised. "What-?" She stepped over toward the edge of the bed. There was a large white box. Curious, she opened it. What she saw inside surprised her. "A dress?"

Xion smiled. "You should wear it tonight when we go to see the fireworks."

Kairi blinked, surprised. "But where did it come from?"

Xion looked toward the side. "It was on the side of the bed. Didn't you notice? I think there's a tag on the side."

Kairi picked up the tag from off of the box. "It's from Sora…"

Xion smiled. "You should try it on."

"Um…?" Kairi wasn't sure why he sent her a gift, but she went into the bathroom and changed into the dress. She was surprised that it had fit. Soon, she stepped out, wearing a short, white sundress that fluffed out at the bottom. Xion looked surprised. "Oh! You look really nice."

Kairi looked surprised as she moved it around. "It is really nice…but…" She breathed out frustrated. "I don't understand!" Concerned, she looked toward Xion. "Why would he get me a dress?"

Xion shrugged. "I don't know, but you can ask him later."

Kairi sat down beside her as she sighed. "I just don't get what's going on with him... He's been acting so different that I can't figure it out. It just…worries me..."

"Then talk to him about it tonight." Kairi looked at Xion surprised. Xion smiled toward her. "If you just talk to him, I'm sure you'll know why." Kairi wondered if Xion was right. She would try one more time.

Later that night, everyone had gone down to the beach near the water. There was a fire in the center as a few chairs surrounded it. Kairi still wondered where Sora was, but soon the thought was in the back of her mind as she laughed along with the others near the water. Further up on the sidewalk, Sora and Roxas stopped at the top of the stairs near the rails. Down below, they saw the others running around in the water and splashing. Sora let out a gentle smile as he watched Kairi have fun with the others. Roxas looked over at him. "Ready?"

Sora smiled as he nodded toward him. "Let's go." They headed down the stairs. Out of the corner of her eye, Kairi noticed them come down. She left from near the ocean and met with Sora part way. He stopped in front of her. "Sorry I'm late."

She placed her hands behind her back. "It's okay." She swayed from side to side, letting her dress twirl. "Thanks for the dress."

Sora looked over toward the ocean. "Thank Xion. She helped me pick it out. I just wanted to do something that reminded you of the last time we were here." Kairi's lips parted, surprised. Earlier, Xion pretended not to know where the dress came from, but why would she? Roxas and Xion smiled toward them as their eyes met across the sand. "You look really pretty in it."

Kairi turned her attention back to Sora. "Thank you." Then, she arched her eyebrow. "So, are you going to tell me what you've been up to?"

Nervously, he smiled. "I don't know what you mean."

"You got me a gift," she pointed out.

Sora shrugged as he looked toward the side. "I thought I would do something nice."

Her face grew serious. "You've been disappearing on and off."

His eyes traveled toward the side. "Just been busy that's all, but not anymore."

She looked confused. "You've been busy for a while..."

Gently, he smiled. "I'll explain it all later. For now, let's have fun being out here."

Kairi's eyes traveled down. "I guess…" She still wanted to know what he was up to and thought this would be her chance. Uneasy, she grabbed her hands in front of her. "Is everything okay…with… us?"

Sora looked concerned. "What?"

Her eyes lowered toward the ground. "I just…don't understand it. I feel like we're drifting apart…"

He stepped in closer. "Nothing's changed. Don't worry." He smiled to assure her. "I promise." His assuring smile made her smile as well. He took both of her hands and started to spin her around. "Come on!" The move snapped her out of her thoughts. Across from her, he grinned. It became infectious. Soon, she started laughing as she had fun with him. Roxas and Xion smiled. It seemed that everything was working out.

Minutes later, fireworks started exploding in the sky, which caused everyone to stop. Everyone stared up in amazement. "It's really pretty."

Sora looked over at Kairi. The bright lights seemed to glow in her eyes. It made him smile the way she looked in the light. "Yeah..." Then, Sora looked back toward the others that sat near the fire and nodded toward them. The others saw his nod and stood up. They left from around the fire. Kairi looked over toward Sora who spoke, "I'm really glad that we could come here again."

A smile curved at her lips. "Me too." Then, her eyes traveled down a little disappointed. Both times they've been on vacation, she really enjoyed being there with him. "Who knows if we'll get to come here next summer…"

Sora let out an assuring smile. "I'm sure that we can come back here someday." His next words stunned and touched her. "I'm really lucky that I'd met you Kairi. I can't imagine what my life would be…without you."

At that moment, she wasn't sure what made him say those words to her now. Gently, she smiled toward him. "Me too." Then, Kairi glanced back and noticed that the others weren't sitting near the fire anymore. Instantly, she became surprised. They couldn't have already left without them. When she searched around, she finally spotted them up the stairs and on the sidewalk. They leaned against the rail as they grinned toward her. She couldn't figure out why there were big smiles on their faces and why all eyes were on her? "Um…?" When she looked back, she noticed that Sora was gone too. Quickly, she turned again and searched for him.

Finally, she spotted him right behind her. The next sight made her heart stop as she took a sharp breath in. Her feet froze in place. Instantly, her eyes widened more as her hands covered her mouth. A soft ocean breeze blew as the water brushed against their feet. Below her, she saw Sora kneeling down as he stared directly into her eyes. In that moment, it had become just him and her. No words came to the surface...

Nervously, he reached into his pocket. "I…wanted to make sure that this would be a night that you would always remember." In the palm of his hand, he held out a red box. Even more, her breath shortened. He reached over and opened the box to reveal what was inside. Even in the darkness, the stones in the ring shined brightly attached to a silver band. Sora let out a smile as he started to feel less nervous. "I love you Kairi." She breathed in as she blinked. "We've been through a lot together. You're kind, caring, and fun to be around." Gently, he took her hand as he gave a gentle smile. "You're the most important person to me." Tears began to fill her eyes and slip down her cheek as her hand stayed near her lips. He took the ring and slipped it onto her finger. Then, his eyes met with hers again. "Last summer, we were right here when I asked what you would say if I asked you to marry me. This time... I'm asking for real." A little nervous, he let out a gentle smile. "So will you…will you marry me?" Through her shock, a smile managed to seep through. Nervously, he rubbed the back of his head. "I'll do my best to make you happy. I-."

Suddenly, he felt her weight against his chest as he felt back on the wet sand. The reaction surprised him more than anything as he looked over toward her. Her arms wrapped tightly around him as she kept her eyes closed. Excitement had taken over her body instead. The tears flooded her eyes too much to see by then. She buried her head near his shoulder. "What took you so long to ask...?" She hugged him tighter. "Yes! Of course I will!" she answered. "Yes…" her voice faded into a whisper. The answer made him relieved. As he smiled, he wrapped his arms around her. His effort worked. She said yes.

Seeing the reaction of the two down on the beach, it seemed that everything had gone great. Above, everyone let out a cheer. As things calmed down between them, they thought they heard cheers in the distance. Sora and Kairi turned their heads to see their friends shouting toward them. Both of them let out a smile. Then, their eyes met. Kairi was still in awe. "I still can't believe… that you set all this all up."

Sora smiled toward her. "I thought it would be more memorable if we had all of our friends here."

She grinned toward him. "This might have been the sweetest thing you've done yet besides asking me to marry you."

He grinned back. "That…happened just now, so wouldn't me asking be the sweetest thing I've ever done?" A giggle slipped out of her lips. Kairi closed her eyes as Sora used his finger to wipe her cheek. "Don't get me started."

She buried her head against his chest. "Sorry…I couldn't help it."

Gently, he smiled toward her. "Then it was worth it." Kairi couldn't help but smile. This was the happiest moment of her life. Both of them stood up from the ground. She hugged him one more time as she closed her eyes. At that moment, she wasn't ready to let go yet. Then, they noticed the others go down to them in excitement. Right away, Selphie grabbed onto Kairi's hand as she stared at her new ring. "It's so pretty!"

Olette stood in beside her as she stared down. "Congratulations!" Sora felt Roxas nudged him as smiled. Sora smiled back. His plan really had worked out after all...

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_


	46. SR & TR: Working Things Out

_**Author's Notes:** Thank you for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter! _

**_Warning + Sort of spoiler alert for this chapter:_** _Things get graphic in this chapter so for anyone who doesn't want to read anything sexual, I've section it off like this: At the beginning I will put "xxx" and at the end you're see a line across the page. I know not everyone wants to read the graphic parts so I've made it a little easier to skip._

 _Also beware as this chapter will touch on sensitive themes._

* * *

 _Sibling Rivalry Meets The Runaways (Sora, Kairi, Riku, Namine, Roxas & Xion Side of the Story) _

_Chapter 45: Working Things Out:_

Later that night, everyone headed back to the hotel rooms. Sora unlocked the door to their room as Kairi stepped in first. After he closed the door and turned around, he suddenly felt a pair of lips planted on his own. The move surprised him. The grin never left Kairi's face. She was still excited over the proposal. She held onto her hand as she stared at her new ring. "I still can't believe it..." A giggle slipped out her lips. Sora sat down on the edge of the bed. Seeing her so happy had made him happy. "It's beautiful." She turned toward him. "Who knew you had good taste?" she joked.

Sora scratched the side of his cheek. "Well…I can't take all the credit."

A curious look came on her face. "What do you mean?"

"The girls helped me out," he explained.

Confused, her eyes searched his. "I don't understand..."

He smiled a little. "They told me which ring you liked the best. Then, all I had to do was get it."

Her eyes searched along the ground. "But when…? I've never looked for…" Then, her eyes widened. A memory came to mind of when she was with her friends shopping. At the time, they did stop by a jewelry store in the mall where they asked her about what kind of ring she would be interested in. It seemed so casual that she didn't suspect anything. "Oh!" Surprised, she turned her head to him. "I think I know when, but that was a while back."

"I wanted to ask you for a long time ever since…" His eyes traveled down toward the side, uneasy. "…the day you told me about the boat trip." Kairi pressed her fist against her chest as she looked worried. His expression grew determined. "After that, I wanted to prove that I was serious about us being together."

Kairi kneeled down on the bed in front of him, concerned. "Sora…" She grabbed onto his hands and placed them in front of her as she gave him a gentle smile. "No matter what, the only person I would've said yes to is you."

His eyes lifted up to hers to see her sincerity. He smiled and leaned back on his hands, pressed against the bed. "You have no idea how many times I wanted to ask you before this."

An interested smirk crossed her lips. "Oh yeah…? How many times?"

Sora chuckled a little. "Maybe every time I saw you."

Kairi put her hand up to her lips as she let out a laugh. "That sounds like a lot of times…" She gave him a loving look. "…and every time I would say yes."

Her answer made him smile. "That's why I couldn't tell you what was going on and why I've been distant these last few months. I was afraid that you would find out and I wanted it to be a surprise. I might have told you myself."

As she closed her eyes, she was relieved to hear that. This night had truly explained a lot. "I can understand that." She gazed down at her ring one more time. "You must've worked a lot to pay for this. How did you…?"

Sora let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. "It wasn't easy… Vanitas helped me. That's why I went to go see him." Afterwards, he thought back to a few months ago when he asked for the favor.

 _Roxas and Vanitas followed Sora into the store. Now that Vanitas was on board, his plan had come together. Once they stopped, the three glanced down through the ring case. Sora pointed toward one of the rings. A smirk crossed Vanitas's lips. "So? This is it?"_

 _Sora nodded nervous, but excited. "Yeah!"_

 _Vanitas glanced at Sora as he looked serious. "There's no turning back."_

 _Sora's fists baled at his sides as he looked determined, but uneasy about asking his favor. "I want to use the money to get a ring for Kairi! I plan…" His eyes traveled down. There was no doubt in his mind. "I plan on asking her to marry me."_

 _Vanitas stared back down at the ring. This really was interesting. "This better be worth it."_

Kairi was surprised that Vanitas agreed to help. "I'm sure that was nice of him."

Sora sighed again as he rubbed the back of his head and closed his eyes. "Well…let's just say now that I'm in his debt..."

As she smiled at him lovingly, she leaned in closer toward him. "Awe…! You did that just for me?"

"Yeah." He grinned. "I would do anything for you."

As Kairi stared into his eyes, she leaned forward as her hands went passed his waist. His eyes widened, surprised. "You sound pretty down about it. I'm sure there's some way that I cheer you up…" Red came to his cheek at how close she was to him and how soft and soothing her voice was. Even after years of being together, she still knew how to make him nervous. Playfully, she brushed her nose against his. Then, he felt her lips against his neck. Slowly, he breathed out as he closed his eyes. She smiled toward him before she pressed her lips to his.

Surprised, he turned his head to her. "What about the others? Won't they be here soon?"

Her lips curved a little. "I think we could come with an excuse unless…"

"Whoa!" With the push of her hand, his back fell against the bed.

A giggle escaped her lips as she began to tease him. She crawled over him, never taking her eyes away from his. "…you rather go celebrate with the guys?" Slowly, her hand slid against his stomach and caused his shirt to rise upwards. The surprise never left his face. Then, she let out a defeated smirk. Maybe now wasn't the time. "I guess I'll take that as you want to go… Go have fun."

"Thanks Kairi." Kairi was about to get up, but then felt his hand lightly hook the back of her neck, against her hair. A smirk appeared on his lips as he sat up and caused her to sit up as well. Sora grinned toward her. "Don't mind if I do." He pulled her in and the two met in an intense kiss.

XXX

She moved his jacket further along his muscular arms to the side of the bed. The two parted for a second as she took off his shirt and tossed it off to the side. Anxious, their lips met again. Her hands rubbed along his hard stomach and latched onto his belt. She loosened it from around his waist and let it slide to the floor. His fingers teased along the thin straps of her dress. Her eyes followed his hand as he rolled them off of her shoulders. He leaned in and marked a few kisses against her collarbone up to her neck. Gently, he squeezed her breasts over her dress. A small sigh let her lips as her eyes lowered to a close. He loosened her dress and slipped it further down.

"Hm." His hand cupped her breast and caressed her soft skin with his thumb. He could feel her warm breath on his earlobe and hear the sweet sound of her voice. She felt an unbearable ache began to grow. A deep sigh left his lips as he could feel between her inner thighs rub against him. Anxiously, they scrambled to remove the rest of their clothes and tossed them onto the ground.

Their eyes met as they both sat up. She placed her hands on his shoulders as she adjusted herself on his lap. As she closed her eyes, she breathed out as she felt him push inside. Curious, he looked up at her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded several times. "Yeah," she whispered. Her lips met his as her arms wrapped around his neck. His hands pressed against her back as he could feel her move on top on him. Their eyes lowered to a close as she pressed her forehead against his. She could feel his breath getting heavier as he could hear her soft moans. Anxious, he leaned back against the bed as she came over him. Faster, he thrusted inside of her. Pleasure built inside of her until it had overwhelmed her body. Cries escaped from her lips. Her insides tightened. He breathed out as he reached down and grabbed on tighter to the sides of her hips. She closed her eyes tight as his name slipped from her lips. She breathed out as she had felt her release. Soon after, he slowed to a stop as he felt his as well. The two breathed out heavily. Tired, she lied down against him as she kept her eyes closed. Her scarlet hair spread over her face and across his skin. She could feel her head rise and fall against his chest.

* * *

After they rested, he placed his hands behind his head. "That's one way to celebrate. I would pick this over going out any day."

She giggled as her hand moved closer to her lips. "I'm sure you would."

Kairi lifted up from him to see his smile. "Thank you."

A surprised look came on her face. "For what?"

His lips curved up more. "For agreeing to marry me."

Kairi couldn't help but smile. "It was an easy choice." She got off of him and stood up from the bed. "Be right back." After things became quiet, his eyes closed to a close. From the bathroom, he could hear the water run. For minutes, he felt relaxed. This really had been a perfect night. Suddenly, he felt a soft sensation on his lips that felt familiar. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes. Above, he saw a smile mirroring his own. "You're not falling asleep, are you?"

"No way!" His leaned in and kissed her again.

Through their kisses, Kairi giggled on and off as he grinned. "It feels weird…to kiss like this…"

His hands reached up and wrapped behind her waist. "Then you should the other way."

She sat on her elbow as she lied on the bed beside him. Playful their lips met. Sora moved over her as he still connected his lips to hers. His body leaned on top of her as her legs were bent on both sides of his waist. His hips pushed further into hers. Surprised by the move, she looked up at him. "Again?" He responded with a hopeful grin. Her eyes traveled toward the side. "Well…"

XXX

While she debated, he placed kisses along her chest. Her eyes lowered to a close. It wasn't long before she decided to give into him again. Sora moved in closed and moved into her. Her legs wrapped partly around his waist. His hands pinned her wrists against the bed. As he reached his peak, his fingers grabbed on tighter to her hand. Below him, he could hear her reach hers as well. Soon, he slowed to a stop. Tired, his body leaned against hers as he breathed hard. She let out a deep sigh as her body relaxed against his. The sound in the room became quiet.

* * *

Suddenly they heard a knock at the door which caused them to jump. "Hey! Are you guys in there?" Pence shouted.

Quickly, Sora sat up along with Kairi afterwards. "Be right there!"

"Are you ready?" Olette asked.

Kairi went closer toward the door. "Sorry! Just give me a few more minutes and I'll meet you guys!"

Selphie smiled. "All right! See you soon!"

Outside, she could hear the sound of their footsteps fade. Kairi breathed out a sigh of relief. Then, she headed toward the bathroom. "I'm going to go ahead and take a shower."

Sora watched as she walked across the room. "Mind if I come with?"

Kairi stopped with her hand in the doorway as she grinned. "As long as you don't try to seduce me again."

To him, it would be a challenge not to. "No promises."

* * *

"To Sora and Kairi! Congratulations!" Hayner announced. The boys held up their glasses in the air as there were grins all around. Everyone put their arms down as they looked at each other at the table.

Roxas and Sora smiled toward each other. "Looks like everything worked out."

Sora nodded in response. "Yup!"

Pence smiled along with Hayner. "So? How does it feel to be getting married?"

Sora glanced down as he smiled. Every time he thought of the moment he asked, it filled him with warmth and happiness. "It feels good… I got what I wanted more than anything…"

* * *

Giggles filled the air. All of the girls sat around in a circle in Selphie's and Olette's hotel room. Selphie held onto Kairi's hand as she gazed at her ring. "It's so pretty!"

Kairi smirked toward them. "I can't believe you guys were in on this the whole time. Sora told me you helped him pick out which ring I liked."

Selphie held up her finger as she grinned. "It can't be helped if we just so happened to stop by a jewelry store and look down at the rings. Then, we just so happened to ask which one you like the best and afterwards told Sora. Casually, she shrugged. "…and he just took it from there."

Olette bounce a little, excited. "It was really hard! We tried not to tell you!"

Kairi looked around at the three of them. "You guys kept this from me for months."

Xion smiled toward her. "So? How does it feel to be getting married?"

Kairi grinned. "I really am happy! I can't wait!"

* * *

Later that night, Sora lied in bed as Kairi lied on his chest in their room. Moonlight was the only light that lit the room. A grin came to her lips as she closed her eyes. "I can't wait!"

Sora turned his head toward her. "It's gonna be a while, plus we have to plan. You want to have a dream wedding."

A little impatient, her eyes traveled toward the bed. "I know..." Then, she hugged onto him tighter. "But no matter when we do, as long as we're together, it will be perfect."

Sora nodded. "Right-!" Suddenly, he heard his phone ring on the side of the bed. He looked over surprised and then answered. "Hello?"

In his bedroom, Riku pulled his off his shoe as he sat on the edge of his bed and placed it on the floor. "So? How did it go? Did she say yes?"

Sora let out a grin and placed his phone on speaker. "I guess it went okay… I asked her…"

Kairi grinned. "And I guess… I said yes…"

Riku laughed along with the two of them. "Congratulations!"

Kairi leaned closer toward the phone. "We wished that you could've been here!"

Riku gave a disappointed smile. "I know… but I had to leave the island today."

"There's still time!" Sora said. "You could come where we are. We're staying here a few days."

"I'll have to see. I have to leave again tomorrow," Riku replied with uncertainty.

"Okay…" Sora sounded disappointed.

"Don't worry. I'll see you guys soon and then we can celebrate," Riku assured them.

Sora smiled along with Kairi. "All right! Good night!" Afterwards, both of them hung up.

"So? Kairi did say yes. That's not a surprise," a voice behind Riku spoke.

Riku looked back. "Looks like it. You disappointed?"

Namine turned on her side as she leaned her head against her elbow. The covers were wrapped around her body. "Hmm…" Her eyes traveled along the bed before she lifted them up to him. "No." She let out a sincere smile. "I'm happy for them." Riku was glad to hear that. He crawled into bed alongside her. "Don't you miss being there?"

"Of course, but I'll have to travel again tomorrow."

Namine looked concerned. "You better get some rest. You got to get up early in the morning again."

He slipped in closer and hovered his body over hers. "I don't have to go to bed right away."

She searched his eyes, curious. "I'm still surprised at you, you know."

Riku mirrored her same curious stare. "About what?"

Namine's eyes traveled toward the side as she thought back. "The last time we were together, you said that you didn't want to do this again, but now…when you approached me at school that day…"

 _A few days earlier…_

 _Namine couldn't believe it. The last day of school was already upon them. As she stood in the art room, where she drew so many times, this would be the last time that she would stand inside it. The feeling was almost bittersweet. She walked over and sat on the windowsill where she drew sometimes and gazed out of the window. Below her, she could see some of the other students playing soccer on the field. A small smile crossed her lips. The sight would be different now once she left._

" _Namine." When she turned her head, she saw Riku walk into the room._

 _She greeted him with a warm smile. "Riku..."_

 _He walked over toward her. "What are you doing here? School is already out."_

 _Namine glanced toward the window. "I wanted to stop by here one more time before I left." Her eyes lowered toward the floor. "I would come here when I felt down and I wanted to focus on my drawings. Now…things will be different." She smiled to assure him. "Don't get me wrong. There are happy memories too, but sometimes…I wish there were more or…maybe…" She stared out toward the window. "…maybe I wanted to do something more that I could remember. A memory I could carry with me always." Afterwards, things turned quiet between them. As she stared at him, she wondered what he was thinking. Then, he walked toward her. She still couldn't read him. "Riku?" He placed his hand against her shoulder. Surprised, she lifted her head toward him. "What…?" Then, her eyes widened at what she felt next. She didn't expect to feel his lips against hers again. When he parted from her, she stared at him stunned. "Why did you…?"_

 _Afterwards, he stood up straight. "You wanted something else to remember this place for, right?"_

 _Nervously, her eyes traveled toward the side. "This isn't the first time you've kissed me here, but why now? You said... that we shouldn't…" He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers again. Her eyes lowered to a close as she embraced his kiss. Her arms wrapped around his back as her body became pressed against the window. The kiss between them continued to intense. His hips became pressed against hers as her legs hung at his sides. He grabbed onto her wrist and pressed it against the glass. After they parted, she panted, out of breath. "W-Wait…" She took a moment to catch her breath before she glanced toward the door. "Someone could walk in." He parted from her and went over to the door. He turned the lock and then turned back to her. Namine remained quiet on the windowsill as he approached her. He placed her hand against her shoulder and leaned in once more. His hand slid along the side of her neck and pushed her white collared shirt further down her shoulder._

 _XXX_

 _Red flushed her cheeks as she felt his hand slip inside the cup of her bra. "Do want me to keep going?" Still overwhelmed by his touch, Namine managed to open her eyes to him and nodded. His other hand slid toward her hips. She placed her hand on top of his and helped slipped her underwear further down her legs. She watched his hands as they unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. As he pressed in close, her legs wrapped around his hips as her body became pressed further against the thick glass. She breathed out as she felt him press himself inside of her. Her eyes lowered to a close as he pressed the back of his hand near her head. Everything else left her mind and began to fade into the background. Breath escaped her lips. Nearby, she could hear his pick up as well. The overwhelming feeling of pleasure made her eyes close tight and press down on her teeth so that no one could hear her outside. Near her ear, he let out a deep sigh. His body slowed to a stop. She could feel her insides warmer and wetter. After he took a moment to catch his breath, he kneeled down toward her feet and slid her underwear further up her legs. She shifted her hips and then lifted her head once he stood up straight. Surprised, she stared up at him. She never expected that to happen much less with him again. Yet, her body was still filled with exhilaration being with him._

* * *

 _Nervously, her knees buckled as she glanced toward the side. "So what…what does this mean now…?"_

 _He placed his fingers on the edge of his pant pockets. "I should…walk you back home. We can discuss it on the way."_

 _She let out a smile as she nodded. "Sure…"_

Riku breathed out slightly. "I know…" His eyes traveled back to hers as he thought ahead. "We won't see each other for a while so this might be the last time."

Namine smiled to assure him. "We can still visit each other as long as we try."

He crawled into bed beside her. "Still…we're going to be busy."

"Then we'll just have to make the time." Seeing her confidence, he mirrored her smile. He would have to trust her words.

* * *

In bed, Xion woke out of her sleep as she let out a small groan. When she glanced at the clock, she realized that she had only been asleep for almost an hour. She didn't understand why she woke up now when there was still the rest of the night to go. When she looked over on the other side of her, she noticed that Roxas was still awake. His hands were behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He seemed lost in thought. Curious, she sat up on her elbow. "Roxas…?"

Roxas snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head toward the side. When he saw that Xion was still awake, he became surprised. "Xion? What are you still doing up?"

"I could ask you that," she replied curious.

His eyes traveled toward to the side. "Hmm…"

At that moment, Xion could tell that something was on his mind that weighed on him heavily. "What is it?"

He stared back up at the ceiling as he looked serious. "I'm sorry… if I've been distant lately. I've…just been thinking a lot."

Uneasy, Xion's eyes traveled along the bed. It was something that weighed on her too. She couldn't understand what was going on with him. "You've been distant for a while now even when I told you…" Her eyes lifted up to him. "…I love you."

Roxas gave a look of disappointment. "I'm sorry…"

She leaned forward toward him. "Whatever is on your mind, I want to know." As he sat up, he held his head down. There was a lot that he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't leave him. Xion gave him a smile of comfort. "Here." He looked over to see her arms opened toward him.

Roxas leaned his back against her chest as he tilted his head down. "I don't know… After everything we've been through, I thought that I messed things up for you. That maybe we shouldn't be…"

She leaned her head on top of his. "That's not true. Everything that we've been through has only made us stronger," she assured him.

Roxas's eyes traveled toward the side unsure. "I wonder sometimes…"

Xion looked curious. "Is that what you were thinking about tonight when you left the pool?"

"That…and…" He lifted his head as he thought about tonight. "I'm really happy for Sora. He's loved Kairi for as long as I've known him. I'm just glad that I was able to help him tonight." His eyes lowered. "I owed him that much."

Xion felt that he was being too hard on himself. "He's your brother. I'm sure he doesn't feel that way."

He looked back toward her. "He might not, but I do." Then, he remembered when Sora and him first met. He didn't exactly give him the warmest welcome. "When I first came to the island, he's been trying to get close to me, but I wouldn't let him. I didn't even know I had a brother. It wasn't until…"

She became very curious. "Until what…?"

"Hmm…" He debated about telling her the past. Something he never told anyone else. "In the past, I…"

Xion noticed that it was difficult for him to talk about what was on his mind. She reflected on her past and thought of what to say to help him. "It was hard for me…moving to the island."

Interested, he turned his head toward her. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes lowered. The memories were bittersweet. "Before I came to the island, it was just me and my mom."

A surprised look came on his face. He hadn't heard her talk about her mom before. "Your mom?"

Xion nodded a few times. "Yeah…I never knew my dad. I couldn't remember what he looked like, but he died when I was really young."

He gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry…"

Xion shook her head and smiled toward him. "Even though it was just me and my mom, I was happy. All we had was each other." Then, a sad look came to her face as she stared toward the blankets. "One day, she was ill… and she ended up in the hospital. Every day, she just kept getting worse. Eventually, she…" Her eyes lowered to a close. "She didn't get any better and I was left all alone..." Roxas was stunned to hear that. Ever since they met, she was alone, but he never knew the reason why. "After that, I was sent to home after home. Eventually, I got tired of it. When I was supposed to go to a family on the island, I ran away. On the streets, I didn't know what I would do. That was when I ran into the organization." Gently, she smiled toward him. "And I met you and then I met Kairi and everything just came together." Her arms wrapped around him. "I'm happy that I'm with you guys. That won't ever change." Xion leaned her head against the back of his head as she closed her eyes. "So I don't want you to ever doubt that." Afterwards, she sat up straight. "Let's sleep. We're meeting the others early tomorrow."

Before she moved, she heard him speak, "The same thing happened to me..." Surprised, she froze. She turned her attention toward him. He didn't lift his eyes to look up at her. "Before I moved to the islands…it was just me and my mom too."

Maybe now he would open up to her. "Your mother…?"

Uneasy, he nodded. "Yeah…"

A curious look appeared on her face. "What was she like…your mother?"

He stared down as he thought back. Instantly, a faint smile appeared. "She was really…kind, caring, and…beautiful…"

It sounded as if he remembered his mother fondly. She let out a smile as well. "I wished that I could've met her."

His lips curved up more. "I wish you could have met her too." Then, his eyes widened as he remembered something. "Oh!" He reached over to his wallet on the nightstand and opened it. "I still have a picture of her."

Xion leaned more toward him. She really wanted to know what she looked like. She stared at the small picture that he held in his hand. There, she saw a woman with blonde, shoulder length hair and big blue eyes. Afterwards, she turned her head to him. It was difficult to ask, but she had to know. "Why don't you…ever talk about her?" Uncomfortable, his eyes traveled toward the side. He sat up from her as his eyes stayed glued to the bed. Xion was worried that he would shut her out again. "Roxas… you can talk to me. What is it?" She pressed her fist against her chest. "You've been distant for so long… even…when we first met. Whatever is bothering you, I want to know."

Slightly, he shook his head. "You can't…undo the past…"

It was hard. Maybe he would never let her in completely. "…I know I can't, but…I'm here now and I want to be there for you and for whatever you want to say…" Xion turned her body to lie down on the bed.

Before she did, her eyes widened when she heard him speak, "Back then…, I was happy with just her, but maybe…maybe I wasn't enough to make her happy." Roxas bent his leg as he put his arm on top of his knee. He glanced back to see Xion intently listening. He breathed out as he put his head down. It was too much...

Xion placed her hand on top of his shoulder. "It's okay." She sat in front of him as she looked concerned. "I'm sure that's not true." His eyes lifted up to her and then lowered as he sighed. She tilted her head a little so that their eyes could meet. "Please... Tell me." He looked toward the side as he debated. "I understand…Whatever it is, it sounds painful."

Roxas closed his eyes. As he looked down, he thought back. "It was. It still is… Back then, I didn't know who my dad was. My mom said I met him before, but I couldn't remember what he looked like. To me, it didn't matter because I was happy when it was just me and her." A smile appeared on his lips as he thought back. "I still remember what our old house used to smell like. My mom always liked to bake. The main thing she liked to was make cookies. It seemed like we never ran out." Xion let out a grin. "Back when I was little, she was with me all the time. Even when she had to work, she still made time."

The smile soon disappeared. "It wasn't until a few years later that…my dad showed up." He could still remember the day he opened the door and saw the face of his father. "One day, he just showed up. My mother was so happy to see him, but I wasn't sure if I was. This was the first time I met him. After he came, I saw the change in my mom. She seemed really happy that he was there. I didn't want to stand in the way of that. Eventually, he convinced me too." He could still remember the way his father rubbed his hair and how he found a way to get along with him. His face grew serious. "He stayed for a while, but suddenly, he left without saying anything." Xion noticed his fingers curl and tense in his lap. "That devasted my mom. After that, she wasn't the same. She was sad all of the time. I tried my best to cheer her up. Eventually, she did and she was herself again. A few years after, he showed up again. I was angry that he left her the first time. Of course, he apologized and she believed him. I tried to tell her not to, but she couldn't help it. She listened to everything he told her. He pretended to be my dad too." He put his hand to his head as he breathed out and closed his eyes. "And I fell for it again… I was such an idiot!"

Xion looked sympathetic. "No you weren't! You wanted your mom to be happy. Anyone would."

"I thought it was the best thing for her, but…" He shook his head. "I was wrong. He just ended up leaving her again."

She looked down concerned. "It must've really hurt her."

He could still remember the depressing look in her eyes clearly. "Yeah…it did. It was a sadness that she couldn't come out of…"

Xion was afraid to ask, but she had to know. "What…happened to her after that…?"

Grief filled his expression. "I tried what I could to make her happy again and for a short time, I thought she snapped out of it." He could still remember the smile she gave and how she told him that she was fine. He shook his head. "But I was wrong! She…"

Anxious, Xion leaned closer toward him. "What? What happened to her?" She could see it in his eyes that he was zoned out into his memories. "Roxas…?"

He lifted his eyes to her. "I came home one day and…I found her…on the floor. There was…blood…" his voice faded into a whisper. Her eyes widened worried. It scared her to ask. "She felt…cold. I thought that…maybe someone had hurt her until…I found a note." He closed his eyes tight and pressed down on his teeth as the memory overwhelmed him emotionally. "She…"

Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. Xion embraced him as tight as she could. "You don't have to say it. It's all right."

His head leaned against her shoulder. A tear slipped from his closed eye. "If only I stayed with her…I…couldn't stop it. I couldn't save her…"

Xion placed her hand on the back of head and buried his face further into her shoulder. "It's not your fault. You didn't know."

"But I wasn't enough for her to stay…" he whispered.

"She loved you. Don't ever forget that. I'm sure it was hard for her, but I'm sure she knew you had other family that could care of for you. She didn't leave you alone before so she wouldn't after." It wasn't long before Xion could feel her shoulder getting wet. She was relieved that he was letting his emotions free. Her hand rubbed against the back of his hair.

Within a few minutes, he was able to calm down. "After that… he showed up again…" Xion looked surprised. Roxas parted from her as he stared down. "After she was taken away, they had me go with him. I hated him for what he done. Soon, he took me to the island. That night was when I first met Sora. My dad had taken me to where Sora and his mother lived. Of course when we showed up on her doorstep, she wasn't happy to see either one of us. Turns out, she didn't know about me at all. Most of the night, the two of them were constantly arguing, but Sora, he was a different story. Without question, he just accepted me." He could still remember Sora coming up to him that night and introducing himself. "He was nice to me, but after losing my mom, I just wasn't in the mood to be a family. Dad ended up staying a few days and my new stepmom reluctantly decided to let me stay. After he saw that, he disappeared once again. I was angry and so was my stepmom. After that, I just left. I didn't expect anyone to come after me, but he did..."

 _Roxas stopped by the edge of town near the ocean. Anger raged within him. He didn't want to be there, but what choice did he have now? His mother was gone. He had nothing else left. He stared out at the island in the distance. "Roxas!" Roxas looked back as he watched Sora catch up with him. "Hey!"_

 _Roxas glared toward him. "What do you want?" he replied coldly._

 _Sora looked a little uneasy, but then let out another smile. He turned toward the ocean. "I think you'll like it here."_

 _Roxas gave a skeptical look. "Yeah right..."_

 _Sora looked more excited. "There are a lot of people that you can meet here like Riku! He's my best friend and then there's Kairi! She's my best friend too! There's also Namine, Selphie, Wakka, Tidus…"_

"He just kept going. He just wanted me to feel welcome, but all I wanted to do was go home and get as far away from them as possible. It wasn't long before I joined the organization." With a sincere look, his eyes met her. "And that's when I met you."

"I'm glad…" she replied with a gentle smile.

"Sora and Ventus welcomed me with open arms, but Vanitas wasn't happy. He called me another one of dad's bastards and said there were probably more of us. I guess he doesn't hate me as much now…"

Xion grinned. "See… No matter who you were, your brothers care about you."

"Still…" He closed his eyes. "No matter what, I couldn't save my mom. I almost couldn't save you."

"I think I…understand now." Roxas looked at her a little surprised. She looked toward the side, thinking. "Back when we were first in the organization, you didn't talk much about yourself. Also, you seemed pretty hard on yourself over what happened to me." She turned her head back to him. "I'm glad you told me." Roxas's eyes traveled down. He was unsure about telling her since it wouldn't change the past. It was something he would carry with him the rest of his life.

Xion let out a gentle smile. She felt she knew what to say to him now. Her fingers grabbed onto his. "It's time to forgive yourself." Roxas's eyes widened. "You really shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You never know what will happen next and you can't always be there, but you can try your best. That's all anyone can ask for." He held his head down. It still felt like he should so that he could protect the ones he cared for most. "Your mom wouldn't want you to blame yourself and I was never upset with you when Larxene attacked because you didn't know. It's time to let it go. Also…I think that you should tell Sora about what happened." He looked at her surprised. "He's your brother and I'm sure he'll understand. He just wants to get to know you like I do." She smiled more. "If you think you're alone, you're not. Sora and Ventus are your brothers and they love you and I'm sure that, in his own way, Vanitas loves you too, even if he never shows it. Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Axel are your best friends and they care about you too. Kairi cares about you too. She's going to be your sister soon. Most of all, I care about you too. No matter what happens in the future, I'm glad I met you." She gave a heartful smile. "I love you." Hearing those words made his breath shortened. She grabbed on tighter to his hands. "It's time that we both let go of the past and move on."

Roxas's eyes traveled down as he thought about her words. Then, he leaned forward as he closed his eyes tight. He could feel water roll down his cheek once more. "Xion…thank you…" he whispered. She embraced him tighter. She believed that he had taken her advice. The smile increased on her lips as a tear slipped from her eyes.

Later that night, Xion brushed the back of his hair as his head rested against her chest, asleep. He breathed softly against her. A smile appeared one more time. He had finally opened up to her and it seemed that they were moving on toward the future instead of dwelling on the past...

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update soon!_ _As the last part was a sensitive subject as throughout the story, if you are ever feeling down, please reach out to someone. Please... There will always be someone there to listen. Always._


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